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YOYAGES 



TO 



VARIOUS PAETS OF THE WORLD, 



BETWEEN THE YEABS 1799 AND 1844. 



BY 



GEOEGE COGGESHALL. 



SELECTED EROM HIS MS. JOURNAL OP EIGHTY VOYAGES. 



NEW-YOBK: 
D. APPLETON & COMPANY, 

200 BROADWAY. 

1851. 



Entered according to Act of Congi'ess, in the year 1851, by 
GJEORGE COGGESHALL,' 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District of 
New-York. 






TO 

BENJAMIN SILLIMAN, LL. D., 

Professor of Cliemistry and Geology^ 
yale college. 

My Dear Sir: 

One of the most cherished attainments of my hfe is your 
friendship. Nothing could be less similar than our pursuits ; 
but I am proud to know that, notwithstanding the rough and 
stormy life that I have led, you have been pleased to recognize 
in me enough to secure your regard and confidence. As a 
slight token of how sincerely I reciprocate the kind feelings 
you have ever manifested for me, I beg leave to inscribe to 
you the following pages. 

Since I have retired from the sea and become an old man, 
it has been a gratification to me, occasionally to re-peruse my 
journals, and though I have had few "battles" to "fight o'er 
again," yet I have had some conflicts with the elements, and 
many with fortune — the narration of which, my friends advise 
me, may be not altogether uninteresting to the public. I need 
not say that the style of my book is unadorned. It consists of 
the simple record, in plain seaman's phrase, of occurrences, 
which, when written, I thought might interest my family, but 
which were preserved with reference to no other readers. 

Maturer years and more leisurg have shown me that they 
are quite devoid of literary merit, but I have not thought it best 
to re-write them, lest by attempting to beautify I should en- 
feeble my work. If it fails to entertain, I trust it will at least 
have no evil influence on others ; and should it receive your ap- 
probation, nothing connected with it will be more welcome to 
Your very sincere friend and obedient servant, 

GEORGE COGGESHALL. 

New-York, March, 1851. » 



PKEPACE. 



It may disarm criticism of some of its asperity, when the 
author states that, in pubUshing for the entertainment of his 
friends the following extracts from his journal, he makes no 
pretensions to literary skill or merit. His life has been passed 
in ploughing the ocean, and not in cultivating the delightful 
and peaceful fields of learningi 

In selecting for publication the Voyages (written at the 
periods to which they relate) contained in this volume, he has 
aimed at presenting a fair specimen of the toils and perils in 
which his many years have been passed. They may interest 
others, and perhaps serve to show to the young and inexpe- 
rienced, that by keeping a stout heart and persevering spirit, 
that degree of success may be counted on which will secure 
personal independence, and the ability to do something for the 
happiness of others. 

In these quiet days of peace, when war, with its excite- 
ments, and violence, and sorrows, is unknown among us, some 
of its legitimate and necessary features are viewed with a de- 
gree of disfavor, quite unfelt at the time of its existence. This 
is especially true as regards privateers and letters-of-marque. 
All wars have for their immediate object the annoyance of the 



10 PEEFACE. 

enemy. Between maritime states, the destruction of each 
other's commerce is the aim of the belhgerents. In our last 
war with Great Britain (to which several chapters in this 
volume relate), the most active agents in crippling the com- 
merce of the enemy, were those of the private armed service. 
The efficiency and daring gallantry of our privateers were 
eminently conspicuous. True it is that much danger exists of 
abuses in this branch of service, and that cruelty to prisoners, 
and mere cupidity, occasionally marked its course during the 
war. But it should be borne in mind that hardly any institu- 
tion is free from liability to abuse, and that it is unjust and 
unphilosophical to stigmatize classes because of the faults of 
individuals. To do so is the common error of the ignorant 
and the vulgar. They do not discriminate between lawyers 
and pettifoggers, physicians and quacks, clergymen and hypo- 
crites, merchants and sharpers. 

No greater injustice can be done than to denounce as mere 
mercenaries all the young men who during our war with 
England embarked in the private armed service. Hundreds of 
my brother mariners well know that the most generous and 
patriotic impulses inspired hosts of brave spirits to embark in 
the work of combating and destroying the ships and commerce 
of our great rival, until we should obtain the freedom of the 
seas ; and none who are informed on the subject are ignorant 
that the object was accomplished. 

But it is not my intent now to vindicate the system of pri- 
vateering — my book relates to another period of the world's 
history than the present, and though the sentiment of this day 
is adverse to that system, yet its excellence or immorality is 
not to be decided here. 

To denounce the past by the Lights of the present, is " to 



PEEFACE. 11 

read history backwards." The acts of a former period are to 
be judged by the condition of the world, and of its knowledge 
and sentiments at that time. 

Whatever difference of opinion existed as to the merits of 
the war with England, there can, at this day, be none as to its 
results. Nearly thirty-seven years have passed since the 
treaty of Ghent brought us peace, and the unexampled pros- 
perity which has followed, and the pre-eminent position, both 
in power and in honor, which our country has attained, are 
due in no small degree to the gallantry and national resource 
manifested by us during the three years' contest. 

Compare and contrast our present condition with what it 
was before that war. 'After the peace of 1783, our ships and 
commerce were preyed upon by England and France with 
impunity, and we manifested in our then feeble condition the 
most patient forbearance, and even submission. At length 
we were driven to arm against our ancient ally, France, until 
we compelled a recognition of our rights by the treaty of Paris 
in 1800. 

Previous to this period our vessels trading to British ports 
were seized by French cruisers, carried into their own ports 
and condemned ; and as the war between France and Britain 
became more embittered, both determined that there should be 
no longer any neutral powers if they could prevent it. They 
imposed restriction upon restriction on the commerce of other 
countries, and did every thing to compel all the nations to 
take part in their contest. Our vessels were assailed by 
French decrees and British orders in council. The accustom- 
ed channels were closed. With cargoes destined for Ham- 
burgh, I was compelled to make several voyages to Tonningen, 
in Danish Holstein, and when this trade was no longer per- 



12 PEEFACE. 

mitted by France, I was forced up among the snow and ice. of 
Russia. Such were the injuries to which we were subjected 
by France. 

England was still more aggressive. Her cruisers captured 
more than one thousand ships and other vessels bound to 
France and other countries, which were overrun by French 
armies, before the United States could be driven to the decla- 
ration of war of 1812. England and France had seemed to 
regard our commerce as their legitimate prey, and they felt 
satisfied that our love of thrift and our passion for gain were 
paramount to our sense of honor, patriotism, and national 
pride. 

England assumed and boasted that a few broadsides from 
her " wooden walls" would drive our paltry striped bunting 
from the ocean. Our seamen were impressed by them— our 
vessels searched in the most arrogant and offensive manner, 
and their people ill-treated. One outrage of this kind suc- 
ceeded another, until one of their men-of-war fired her cow- 
ardly cannon into a harmless little unarmed vessel (April 26th, 
1806,) ofl" Sandy Hook, and one of our citizens was killed. 
This was followed by the crowning wrong and insult of the 
attack by the British frigate Leopard upon the American 
frigate Chesapeake, in a period of profound peace, and at a mo- 
ment when from peculiar causes the latter ship was in a de- 
fenceless position. 

This act roused a spirit which nothing could quell. Con- 
gress declared war in 1812 against the mightiest of the 
nations. But " thrice were we armed," for we " had our 
quarrel just." In less than three years, two entire fleets of 
British men-of-war were swept from the Lakes. ]Vlore than 
fifteen hundred sail of British ship's and other vessels were 



PREFACE. 13 

captured. One of our frigates vanquished two frigates of the 
enemy, one after the other in fair combat, and afterwards en- 
countered at once two of their sloops-of-war with a hke result. 
Other and gallant actions and victories followed. The spell 
was broken. British invincibility and British supremacy were 
at an end. The stars and stripes were no longer a theme of 
ridicule — our commerce was no longer at the mercy and con- 
ducted by the permission- and sufferance of England. 

Far be it from the writer of these pages to indulge in either 
a revengeful or a boasting spirit ; but it may be permitted to 
one who in early life encountered so much of annoyance and 
injury — so much that was galling to the spirit of every man 
who felt that the ocean was by right the free thoroughfare of 
all nations — to rejoice that wherever our flag now floats it 
carries security, respect and honor to all beneath its folds. 
That the " right of search," claimed so long and exercised so 
arrogantly, is now abandoned — that our nation and our people 
know no superiors — and that we present at this moment the 
most remarkable spectacle the world has ever known of a free, 
prosperous, powerful, and educated people. Let it be our aim 
to bear our prosperity with moderation, with dignity, and with 
gratitude to the great Ruler of nations ; and to remember that 
we shall become base whenever we wield our. power against 
the weak and humble, or in any cause that has not honor, 
truth, and justice for its foundation and its end. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

Voyage in the Schooner Charlotte, to Savannah, thence to the Mediter- 
ranean and back to New- York, in the year 1800, .... 17 

CHAPTER n. 

Voyage in the Schooner Industry, to Teneriffe, in the years 1805 and 

1806, . ; 25 

CHAPTER III. 

Voyage to France, and a short Cruise in the Bay of Biscay, in the Letter- 

of-Marque Schooner David Porter, in the years 1813 and 1814, . 33 

CHAPTER IV. 

Cruise in the Letter-of-Marque Schooner Leo, from L'Orient to Charles- 
ton, and her Capture, in the years 1814 and 1815, .... 76 

CHAPTER V. 

Voyage in the Ship John Hamilton, from Baltimore to Savannah, thence 
to Lisbon and St. Ubes, and back to New-York, in the years 1815 
and 1816, HI 



16 CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Voyage in the Pilot-Boat Schooner Sea-Serpent^ from New-York to Lima, 

in the years 1821 and 1822, 127 



CHAPTER Vn. 

Voyage from New- York to Cadiz, and thence to St. Thomas and Alva- * 
rado, in the Brig Nymph, of New- York, in the years 1823 and 1824, 185 



CHAPTER I. 

VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONER "CHARLOTTE" TO SAVANNAH, 
THENCE TO THE MEDITERRANEAN AND BACK TO NEW- 
YORK, IN THE YEAR 1800. 

I "WAS now a boy, of sixteen years of age, and had made 
one voyage to Cadiz in the scliooner Charlotte. On the return 
of this vessel to New- York, her captain and crew were all dis- 
charged, and I alone remained on board as ship-keeper at 
Brooklyn about two months, after which time she was re- 
moved to New- York, where we commenced taking in a gen- 
eral cargo on freight for Savannah, under the command of 
Captain Crocker. 

Thus I found myself among entire strangers at the com- 
mencement of a new voyage. The mate's name was Coleman. 
He was a young man, a native of Nantucket, who had been 
brought up in the whaling business, and had always been 
accustomed to long voyages to distant seas. He had never 
made one in a merchant trading vessel, and although a 
kind-hearted, good fellow, seemed to have very little in com- 
mon with his fellow-men. Whenever a porpoise or a whale 
came in sight, he was in his element, and so delighted and 
excited that he could scarcely restrain himself, and in ecstasies 
cried out " townor." Our captain had for many years com- 
manded a packet brig between New- York and Savannah, and 
was a very amiable man, though somewhat advanced in years. 
The crew consisted of six seamen, a black cook, and myself as 
cabin boy. We sailed from New- York about the 1st of June, 
2 



18 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER CHARLOTTE. 

and had a pleasant passage of thirteen days to Savannah, 
without any remarkable occurrence. We soon discharged our 
cargo, and took on board another of tobacco and staves. 

Being loaded and nearly ready for sea, one morning at day- 
light the mate went forward to the forecastle to call all hands, 
when behold not a man was to be found. On searching about, 
we found the crew had stolen the boat, and, taking what things 
they could stow away in bags, were off for Charleston, which 
was the last we ever heard of them. 

Seamen being scarce and wages high, we were obliged to 
take such as we could get. Among them was a '•'•Cracker^'' a 
tall, lean-looking man, recently from the interior, and who 
had never before seen the salt water. Having shipped our 
motley crew of all colors and all nations, we sailed from 
Savannah on the 28th of June, 1800, for Gibraltar. 

About a week or ten days after sailing, one morning at 
daylight, while steering to the eastward with a strong gale 
from the northward, we discovered a sail astern, in full chase, 
and, as we supposed her a French privateer, we crowded all 
sail to make our escape. The gale increased, we took in our 
foretopsail, reefed our lower sails, and hauled close to the wind 
to the N. E. The chase fore-reached us, but did not hold so 
good a wind as our sharp schooner, so that his shot could not 
reach us, and he was compelled to tack and get again into our 
wake, while we crowded all the sail the schooner could bear, 
and kept steadily on our course, dashing through the spray 
like a porpoise. At sunset she was near enough to reach us 
with her guns, when we set our colors and hove to. My 
readers may imagine our mutual disappointment when we 
found we both wore the Stars and Stripes. She proved to be 
the U. S. brig Pickerings of fourteen guns. Captain Preble. 
She had taken us for a French privateer ; and the lieutenant 
who boarded us, said that nearly every person on board had 
been wet to the skin during the whole chase. After wishing 
them a successful cruise, we separated with mutual good 
wishes. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER CHARLOTTE. 19 

During our stay at Savannah our captain and mate were 
sick with the fever and ague, and it sometimes happened on 
our passage to Gibraltar, that neither of them were able to 
come on deck to take an observation of the sun. At these 
times, though a boy of sixteen years, I officiated to take the 
sun's ahitude, and with a httle help from the captain or mate 
was enabled to find the latitude. On our passage out the poor 
good-natured fellow from the interior of Georgia, fell sick, and 
was soon very much reduced in flesh, with a bad fever-sore on 
his right leg, which rendered him unfit for duty. I do not 
recollect any incident worth noting, until we arrived at Gibral- 
tar on the 27th of July, after a passage of twenty-nine days. 
Our cargo was soon sold and discharged, and the vessel bal- 
lasted with sand. While lying in this port, we were often 
annoyed and harassed by press-gangs, headed by British 
naval officers, scrutinizing our protections, and often threaten- 
ing and ill-treating the men. These cruelties may be over- 
looked and forgiven, but will ever "be remembered by Ameri- 
cans, and for fear I should say too much, I will drop the 
subject. 

While we were lying in this port, one morning at daylight 
we heard firing at a distance. I took a spy-glass, and from 
aloft could clearly see three gun-boats engaged with a large 
ship. It was a fine clear morning, with scarcely wind enough 
to ruffle the glass-like surface of the water. During the first 
hour or two of this engagement, the gun-boats had an immense 
advantage ; being propelled, both by sails and oars, they were 
enabled to choose their own position. While the ship lay be- 
calmed and untoanageable, they poured grape and canister 
shot into her stern and bows like hailstones. At this time the 
ship's crew could not bring a single gun to bear upon them, 
and all they could do was to use their small arms through the 
ports and over the rails. Fortunately for the crew, the ship 
had thick and high bulwarks, which protected them from Ihe 
fire of the enemy, so that while they were hid and screened 
by the boarding cloths, they could use their small arms to great 



20 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER CHARLOTTE. 

advantage. At this stage of the action, while the captain with 
his speaking trumpet under his left arm was endeavoring to 
bring one of his big guns to bear on one of the gun-boats, a 
grapeshot passed through the port and trumpet and entered 
his chest near his shoulder-blade. The chief mate carried 
him below and laid him upon a mattress on the cabin floor. 
For a moment it seemed to dampen the ardor of the men ; but 
it was but for an instant. The chief mate (I think his name 
was Randall), a gallant young man from Nantucket, then took 
the command, rallied and encouraged the men to continue the 
action with renewed obstinacy and vigor. At this time a 
lateen rigged vessel, the largest of the three privateers, was 
preparing to make a desperate attempt to board the ship 
on the larboard quarter, and, with nearly all his men on 
the forecastle and long bowsprit, were ready to take the final 
leap. 

In order to meet and frustrate the design of the enemy, the 
mate of the ship had one o^the quarter-deck guns loaded with 
grape and canister shot ; he then ordered all the ports on this 
quarter to be shut, so that the gun could not be seen, and thus 
were both parties prepared, when the privateer came boldly 
up within a few yards of the ship's lee-quarter. The captain, 
with a threatening flourish of his sword, cried out with a loud 
voice in broken English, "Strike, you dammer rascal, or 
I will put you all to death." At this moment a diminutive 
looking man, on board the Louisa^ with a musket, took delib- 
erate aim through one of the wai^t ports, and shot him dead. 
Instantly the gun was run out and discharged upon the foe 
with deadly effect, so that the reniaining few on board the 
privateer, amazed and astounded, were glad to give up the 
conflict, and get off the best way they could. 

Soon after this, a breeze sprung up, so that they could work 
their great guns to some purpose. I never shall forget the 
moment when I saw the star-spangled banner blow out and 
wave gracefully in the wind, through the smoke. I also at 
the same moment saw with pleasure the three gun-boats sail- 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER CHARLOTTE, 21 

ing and rowing away towards the land to make their escape. 
When the ship drew near the port, all the boats from the Amer- 
ican shipping voluntarily went to assist in bringing her to 
anchor. She proved to be the letter-of-marque ship Louisa, of 
Philadelphia. 

I went with our captain on board of her, and we tliere 
learned that, with the exception of the captain, not a man had 
been killed or wounded. The ship was terribly cut up and 
crippled in her sails and rigging — lifts and braces shot away : 
her stern was literally riddled like a grater, and both large and 
small shot, in great numbers, had entered her hull and were 
sticking to her sides. How the officers and crew escaped 
unhurt is almost impossible to conceive. The poor captain 
was immediately taken on shore, but only survived his wound 
a few days. He had a public funeral, and was followed to the 
grave by all the Americans in Gibraltar, and very many of the 
officers of the garrison, and inhabitants of the town. 

The ship had a rich cargo of coffee, sugar, and India goods, 
on board, and I believe was bound to Leghorn. The gun 
boats belonged to Algeciras, and fought under French colors, 
but were probably manned by the debased of all nations. I 
can form no idea how many were killed or wounded on board 
the gun-boats, but from the great number of men on board, and 
from the length of the action, there must have been great 
slaughter ; neither can I say positively how long the engage- 
ment lasted, but I should think, at least, from three to four 
hours. To the chief mate, too much credit cannot be given, 
for saving the ship after the captain was shot. 

I understood from Captain Crocker that he received the 
amount of his cargo of tobacco and staves in doubloons, that 
his intention was to proceed with this money to Alicant, 
to purchase a cargo of brandy and wine for the New-York 
market, and that he had written to a merchant in Alicant, sonde 
weeks previous to our leaving Gibraltar, to have their wine 
and brandy ready to take on board immediately on our arrival, 
at a price already agreed upon. Accordingly about the middle 



22 ' VOYAGE IN THE SCHOOKER CHARLOTTE. 

of August, after lying twenty days in Gibraltar, we sailed for 
Alicant. The poor sick man before mentioned grew worse 
and worse, with little or no prospect of recovery. I think our 
captain made a great mistake in not leaving the poor fellow in 
the hospital at Gibraltar, where he would have been better at- 
tended and suffered less than he did in a small confined fore- 
castle, deprived of medical aid and suitable nourishment. On 
our arrival at Alicant, after a passage of ten days, he was a 
mere skeleton and very near to death. When the health boat 
came along side to visit the vessel and saw this man bolstered 
up on deck, they were afraid to come on board, and immedi- 
ately ordered the captain to proceed to the quarantine ground 
forthwith, and to have no communication with the shore, or 
with any vessel or boat, without a permit from the health 
officer. The quarantine ground was about a mile to the east- 
ward of the harbor, and about half a mile from the shore. 
Here we lay for more than a month, when the sick man died, 
and we were allowed to bury him in the sand just above high- 
water mark. He had no contagious disease, but gradually 
wasted away ; his leg mortified, and the poor fellow's sufiering 
was so severe, that it was a relief to see him die. 

We were not allowed to take on board our cargo in the 
ordinary way, from lighters, but, as follows : some fifty or 
sixty pipes of brandy and wine were fastened together and 
towed in the water near our vessel, where they were left for 
our boat to tow them alongside, and for us to hoist them on 
board and stow them away with our small and weak crew ; 
in this manner we took on board all our cargo. Whenever 
we got any fresh provisions or fruit from the town, it was sent 
off in a boat, to a considerable distance from the vessel, and 
then put on board of our boat. They appeared to avoid all 
direct communication with us as though we had the plague 
on board. Thus we received our cargo, and paid for it in 
doubloons without the privilege of going on shore ; and dur- 
ing our long stay here, neither the- captain nor any other per- 
son belonging to our vessel ever put foot on shore, except 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER CHARLOTTE. 23 

when at one time the mate and four seamen were allowed to 
land on the sand-beach, just long enough to bury the dead 
man, during which time they were closely watched by the 
officers of the government. We were all happy when the day 
arrived to sail once more for our native land, which was, as 
near as I can recollect, about the first of October, 1800. Some 
days after leaving this port, while sailing gently down the 
Mediterranean with a light breeze, we fell in with a small 
lateen-rigged privateer, under French colors, mounting four 
guns, and, I should think, manned by about fifty of the worst 
and most ferocious looking fellows I ever saw, all armed with 
pistols and long knives. They boarded us in their own boat, 
and, to our surprise, the captain appeared a mild, gentle- 
manly man. Neither he nor his men would speak to us in 
English, they affected not to understand our language ; but 
through one of the men, who spoke a little broken English, 
the captain gave us to understand that he wanted a pipe of 
brandy and a pipe of wine for stores, and would give our cap- 
tain an order on the owner of his privateer (whom he repre- 
sented to be a respectable merchant residing in Marseilles), 
for the amount of the wine and brandy, and that he would 
pay the money at sight of this order. Our captain, being 
greatly agitated, was glad to comply with the request for the 
brandy and wine, without, for a moment, questioning the va- 
lidity of the order, and took his draft, without scanning its 
c6ntents, happy to get clear of such a cut-throat looking set of 
rascals. We were not quite easy, being somewhat in fear of 
a second visit from this gentlemanly captain, until he was 
fairly out of sight. 

On our way down the Straits we touched at Gibraltar for 
water, stores, (fcc. Here the captain (being unable to read 
French himself), got his order translated. It proved to be 
only ajeu d' esprit or hoax of this polite sea-robber. We re- 
mained but a few days at Gibraltar, only long enough to fill 
up our water and take on board sea-stores, &.C., when we 
again sailed for New- York. During the whole of this home- 



24 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER CHARLOTTE. 

ward passage, I do not recollect one circumstance worth re- 
cording. 

"We arrived in New- York about the' middle of November, 
when we were all paid off and discharged. I here learned, 
with grief and pain, that my honored father was no more. 
He had been dead about three weeks on our arrival ; his 
death was a sad blow indeed to all his family and friends ; 
he was a kind, affectionate husband, a tender father, and a 
generous friend. To me it was an irreparable loss ; I had 
lost my stay and guide, the only male friend, capable of di- 
recting my future course. In short, I was cast upon the wide 
world, to make my way withoriit fortune and without friends. 

My mother's health at this time was very delicate, and 
she was now left, bereaved of her husband, with little or no 
means of sustaining and supporting herself and three young 
boys, aged from three to seven years, 

I returned home to comfort her, and to mingle our 
tears of grief together. My two eldest brothers being ab- 
sent, I was at this time a great solace to my distressed and 
widowed mother. I remained however but a few months at 
home, before I found it absolutely necessary to seek employ- 
ment. 



CHAPTER 11. 



VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONER INDUSTRY, TO TENERIFFE, IN THE 
YEARS 1805 AND 1806. 

On the 1st of November, 1805, I shipped with Capt. James 
Kennedy, on board the schooner " Industry, ^^ as chjef mate, 
to perform a voyage to the Island of Teneriffe. On the 18th 
of the same month, we commenced loading with Indian corn, 
flour, stores, etc. The ^^ Industry ^^ was a good vessel, nearly 
new, burden 150 tons ; and was owned by Messrs. Le Roy, 
Bayard &. McEvers, of New- York. We finished loading in 
about a week, and sailed from New- York on the 24th of Oct., 
bound for Santa Cruz, Teneriffe. 

Nothing occurred worth noticing on this passage until we 
made the Island of Madeira, on the 27th of December ; 31 
days from New- York. At noon this day we took our depar- 
ture from this island. It then bore N. N. W., distant 12 leagues, 
and with a strong gale at N. W. we ran down for Tenerifte. 
There are two small islands called the Salvages, which lie al- 
most directly in the track. They are quite low, and in a dark 
night can be seen but a very short distance. Our captain 
judged we should be down in the neighborhood of them about 
2 o'clock, A. M. 

It being my first watch on deck, namely, from 8 o'clock till 
midnight, the captain gave me charge of the deck, tellmg me 
to call him at midnight, and saying that he would shorten sail 
at 2 o'clock, and if the wind continued strong it would be bet- 



26 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER INDUSTRY. 

ter to lie by until daylight. He then went below, and in a few 
minutes was sound asleep. 

I accordingly carried as much sail as the schooner would 
bear, until midnight, when I called Capt. K., told him it was 
blowing very strong, and that it was necessary to shorten sail, 
as we were no doubt drawing iiear the Salvages. He appear- 
ed to rouse up a little, and then sank into a sound sleep. I 
returned to the deck and waited some minutes, when I again 
called, and endeavored by repeated shakings and loud calls to 
arouse him ; but all to no purpose. I could not awaken 
him and was therefore obliged to go on deck and shorten sail. 
At 2 A. M., I hove the schooner to, determined to lie by till 
daylight. I then went below, giving the watch on deck orders 
to call me at the first dawn of day. This order was obeyed, 
and wh^i I came on deck the Salvages were about a mile dis- 
tant on our lee beam, with a terrible surf breaking and dashing 
the white foam high in the air with a terrific roar. We imme- 
diately made sail and passed quite near the largest of these 
desolate and barren looking islands, which are, *[ should judge, 
about a mile asunder, with a bad reef extending from the 
larger to the smaller. 

I Avas now enabled to get the captain on deck and show him 
the danger we had escaped. Capt. Kennedy was a kind, 
amiable man, and always treated me with respect and kind- 
ness — but truth compels me to add, that he was the most pro- 
found sleeper I ever knew, and I verily believe, that if a two- 
and-forty pounder had been fired off on deck, directly over his 
head, it would not have awaked him, or distm-bed his slum- 
bers. 

The next day we made the Island of Teneriffe, and got 
safe to anchor in the port of Santa Cruz on the 29th of Dec, 
after a boisterous passage of 33 days. We were this day visit- 
ed by the health boat, and, though all well, were ordered to 
perform quarantine for four days, after which time we got par- 
tique and commenced discharging our cargo, which was taken 
on shore in small lighters. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER INDUSTRY. 27 

We found lying at anchor in this port but few vessels, say 
about half a dozen ; three American brigs and schooners, a few 
small craft belonging to the island, and a large Scotch brig, 
nearly new, of about 250 tons burden. This brig was from 
Newfoundland, laden with codfish, bound to London, and was 
taken in the chops of the English Channel by a French fleet 
of men-of-war on their passage to the West Indies a few days 
out from Rochefort, and was sent into this port where she was 
condemned and lay moored, with 4 bower anchors, topmast 
and yards on deck, prepared to brave the winter gales, which 
often blow here with great violence. 

About the last of Dec, 1805, a French brig-of-war touched 
here for a few days and brought the news of a great naval 
battle having been fought on the 21st of last October, between 
the combined fleets of France and Spain, off Cadiz and Tra- 
falgar, and an English fleet under the command of Admiral 
Lord Nelson ; and that Lord Nelson was killed in the action. 
This was about all the news we heard on this subject for many 
months. 

On referring to the life of Lord Nelson, I find that on the 
22d of July, 1797, he arrived at this port with a British fleet 
of four line-of-battle ships, and three frigates, and that two days 
after, at midnight, he manned all the boats of the squadron and 
attempted to land on the quay and take the town by storm, but 
was repulsed with great slaughter, and the commander, Admi- 
ral Nelson, lost his right arm. 

We had discharged about half our cargo when on the 8th 
of January, about noon, it commenced blowing a gale from the 
eastward directly on shore. At 3 o'clock p. m. I received a 
note from Capt. Kennedy, requesting me to clear the decks 
and get ready as soon as possible to go to sea, and stating that 
he would be on board in the course of an hour or two. I ac- 
cordingly cleared the decks, reefed the sails, and got buoys 
ready. At 6 o'clock, just an hour before dark, the captain 
came on board, when we slipped our cables and got under 
way, and had just time before dark to clear the port. 



28 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER INDUSTRY. 

In the early part of this day a ship arrived off the harbor. 
The captain went on shore to try the market, ordering the 
mate to stand off and on, until further orders. We stood off 
from the land, and just before dark saw the ship and supposed 
she was at a great distance in the ofiing, and therefore con- 
cluded we were several miles asunder. 

At 8 p. M. it became very dark, and blew a strong gale 
from the S. E. and E. S. E. directly on shore, attended with 
rain and much thunder and lightning, but as we had got 
everything snug, and judged ourselves about five miles from the 
land, we felt quite safe. Just then the steward called the 
captain and myself to supper. Capt. K. told me I had better 
go below, and that he would keep a look-out, and take a little 
tea and biscuit on deck. I had entered the cabin when I felt 
a terrible shock. I ran to the companion-way, when I saw a 
ship athwart our bows. At that moment our foremast went by 
the board, carrying with it our main-topmast. In an instant 
the two vessels separated, and we were left a perfect wreck. 
The ship showed a light for a. few moments and then disap- 
peared, leaving us to our fate. When we came to examine 
our situation, we found .our bowsprit gone close to the night- 
heads. 

The foremast in its fall had crushed and broken the cook- 
house, lee gunwale, and waist-boards. The main-topmast in 
its fall tore the mainsail to pieces, and the mainmast, thus left 
without support, was surging and springing in such a manner 
that we feared every moment it would go also. The gale in- 
creased, and blew with great violence directly on shore. To 
retard the schooner's drift, we kept the wreck of the foremast, 
bowsprit, sails, spars, &c., fast by the bowsprit shrouds and 
other ropes, so that we drifted to leeward but about two miles 
the hour. To secure the mainmast was now the first object. 
I therefore took with me one of the best of the crew and car- 
ried the end of a rope cable with us up to the mainmast head, 
and clenched it round the mast while it was badly springing. 
We then took the cable to the windlass and hove taught, and 



---.^K 




oo 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER INDUSTRY. . 29 

thus effectually secured the mast. It was now 10 o'clock at 
night, and we could do no more for the present. I then gave 
the charge of the deck to one of our best men, with orders to 
keep a good look-out and call me if there should be any change 
of wind or weather. We were then drifting dii-ectly on shore 
where the cliffs were rocky, abrupt, and almost perpendicular, 
and were perhaps 1000 feet high. At each flash of lightning 
we could see the surf break, whilst we heard the awful roar of 
the sea dashing and breaking against the rocks and caverns of 
this iron-bound island. 

When I went below, I found the captain in the act of 
going to bed ; and as near as I can recollect, the following 
dialogue took place : " Well, Captain K., what shall we do 
next? we have now about six hours to pass before daylight, 
and, according to my calculation, we have only about three 
hours more drift ; still, before that time there may, perhaps, 
be some favorable change." He answered, " Mr. C, we have 
done all we can, and can do nothing more ; I am resigned to 
my fate, and think nothing can save us." I replied, " Perhaps 
you are right ; still, I am resolved to struggle to the last. I 
am too young to die ; I am only twenty-one years of age, and 
have a widowed mother, three brothers, and a sister, looking 
to me for support and sympathy. No, sir, I will struggle and 
persevere to the last." "Ah !" said he, "What can you do? 
Our boat will not live five minutes in the surf, and you have no 
other resource." " I will take the boat," said I, " and when she 
fills, I will cling to a spar, I will not die until my strength is 
exhausted, and I can breathe no longer." Here the conversa- 
tion ended, when the captain covered his head with a blanket. 
I then wrote the substance of our misfortune in the log-book, 
and also a letter to my mother, rolled them up in a piece of 
tarred canvas, and, assisted by the carpenter, put the package 
into a tight keg ; thinking that this might probably be thrown 
on shore, and thus our friends might perhaps know of our end. 

I then went on deck to take another look at our perilous 
situation. The night was excessively dark, the wind was 



m 



30 .VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONEE INDUSTEY. 

blowing a terrible gale, directly on shore, with a high rolling 
sea : at short intervals, we had awful peals of thunder, and 
sharp vivid lightning : every bright flash revealed to us more 
clearly our impending danger, and as we were momentarily 
drifting nearer to the lofty cliffs, the surf seemed to break and 
roar with increased fury. 

At this critical moment, when all human aid was impotent 
and unavailing, a kind Providence came to our relief, and 
snatched us from a watery grave; for at midnight, one hour 
after this trying scene, the gale gradually died away until it 
became quite calm. At 2 o'clock in the morning a light 
breeze sprung up, from off the land, and we were saved. 
With the little land breeze, and a favorable current setting 
along shore to the southward, the schooner was gently swept 
off and along the south end of the island. At early dawn, 
viz : at 3 o'clock, I called all hands, and now our captain 
acted like a man. Having been in early life bred a carpen- 
ter, he could use tools adroitly, and we all set to work in good 
earnest. 

We had a new mainsail and jib below, which we instantly 
bent, and rigged out a squaresail boom for a bowsprit, and in 
an hour our vessel was completely rigged into a sloop, and we 
were slowly steering off' shore. 

At broad daylight we were about a mile off the land. Santa 
Cruz was entirely out of sight, and not a ship or boat to be 
seen. "We gradually drifted with the wind and current to the 
southward of the island. The winds continued light, and the 
weather fine, for several days ; in the mean time we rigged a 
small jury-mast with a spare topmast, and set as many jibs as 
we could muster, daily beating against the wind and current, 
until at the end of eighteen days we again reached Santa Cruz, 
and regained our former anchorage. 

At the sight of our vessel, the whole town was astonished, 
as we had been given up for lost, and both vessel and cargo 
had been abandoned to the underwriters in New- York. The 
ship that ran us down, proved to be the " Catharine" Capt. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER INDUSTRY. 31 

George Dowdall, of New- York. Their report was, that they 
saw nothing of the schooner after the two vessels separated, 
and concluded, of course, that we immediately sank, and that 
every soul had perished. I understood that the Catharine 
received considerable injury about the bows, and lost a bower 
anchor and sixty or seventy fathoms of cable. 

There was an American brig here belonging to Bath (then 
in the province of Maine), to sail the next day, so that we were 
enabled to write to our friends that we were still among the 
living. When our captain went on shore at Santa Cruz, he 
was treated with great kindness and hospitality by all the 
principal merchants of the town, and we were all looked upon 
as so many men risen from the dead. 

We soon discharged the remainder of our cargo, and had 
several surveys of the vessel ; and as no suitable spars could 
be found there to make a new foremast and bowsprit, the 
schooner was condemned and sold at public auction, for the 
benefit of the underwriters. 

Capt. Kennedy then purchased the Scotch prize brig, to 
which myself and all the crew of the Industry were trans- 
ferred. I do not recollect the Scotch name of this vessel, but 
Capt K. called her the " Jane Kennedy ^'^ after one of his 
daughters. 

We took on board a quantity of stone ballast, sea stores, 
&c., (fcc, and on the 6th of March sailed for New-York. 
We had contrary winds and calms a great part of the passage, 
and on the 26th of April, 1806, after a long and tedious pas- 
sage of 49 days, arrived off Sandy Hook. While standing in 
near the Hook, I saw a gun fired from the British ship of war 
"Z,eawrfer," at a small sloop, standing in shore. I saw the 
sloop heave to, but did not know at that time that the shot 
struck her. When we got to New- York, I heard that a man 
by the name of John Pierce was killed. The next morning I 
went on board the sloop, lying at the wharf. The shot had 
struck the taffrail, shivered it in pieces, and one of the splinters 
killed Pierce, while standing at the helm. The death of this 



32 VOYAGE m THE SCHOONEE INDUSTEY. 

man, occurring at the entrance of the port, and in our own 
waters, while we were at peace with England, caused a great 
excitement against the perpetrators of this outrage, and the 
whole country felt that it was an insult to the nation, and 
called aloud for redress. 

A day or two after our arrival, the crew of our vessel were 
discharged and paid off, Capt. Kennedy retaining his appren- 
tice boy and myself; and after getting the brig calked and 
painted she was laid up, until Capt. K. could hear from Scot- 
land, where he had written to her former owners, offering to 
sell her to them at a fair valuation, they having the privilege 
of obtaining a new register, (fcc. She was, of course, worth 
more to them than to others. Capt. Kennedy purchased 
this vessel without any papers, and came home with a simple 
certificate from the American Consul at Teneriffe, that he had 
purchased and paid for the brig at Santa Cruz. 

The brig being now in perfect order, I got leave of absence 
to visit my mother, in Connecticut, and as Capt. Kennedy had 
no further need of my services, we separated with mutual 
good wishes for our future prosperity. 



CHAPTER III. 

VOYAGE TO FRANCE, AND A SHORT CRUISE IN THE BAY OF 
BISCAY, IN THE LETTER-OF-MARQUE SCHOONER "DAVID 
PORTER," IN THE YEARS 1813 AND 1814. 

All the ships belongmg to Messrs. A. Gracie &. Sons bemg- 
now laid up, they had at the time no further occasion for my 
services, which I did not regret, not from any want of regard 
for my employers, who were good, just, and liberal men, but I 
was glad to go into some other business. I had serious doubts 
about the propriety and justice of supplying the British with 
breadstuffs and provisions while my country was at war with 
that nation. It is true, I had made the last two voyages to 
Lisbon in the same business, but was never quite satisfied that 
it was right, and I was glad of an opportunity to leave the 
trade. 

At this period of the war, there were but three ways for 
captains of merchant ships to find employment in their voca- 
tion, namely, to enter the United States Navy as sailing-mas- 
ters, to go privateering, or to command a letter-of-marque, carry a 
cargo, and as it were force trade, and fight their way or run, 
as the case might be ; and, as an alternative, I chose that of a 
letter-of-marque, I gave myself some weeks leisure, and then 
consulted a few friends on the subject of purchasing a pilot- 
boat schooner, and going into the French trade. After looking 
about for a suitable vessel, I at length met with a fine schooner 
of about 200 tons burden, called the " David Porter^ She 
was built in Milford, my native town, and had made but one 
3 



84 VOYAGE IJSr THE SCHOONEE DAVID PORTEE. 

voyage, which was from New- York to St. Jean de Luz. 
France, thence to St. Bartholomew, and from that place to 
Providence, R. I., where she then lay. She was a fine fast- 
sailing vessel, and tolerably well arrn£d, having a long 18- 
pounder on a pivot amid-ships, four 6-pounders, with muskets, 
pistols, (fcc. I purchased one-half of this schooner for $6000, 
from the former owners in Milford, Connecticut. They retain- 
ed the other half for their own account. My New- York 
friends, Messrs. Lawrence & Whitney, and James Lovett, Esq., 
bought one quarter, and I retained the other quarter for my 
own account. 

We decided on a voyage from Providence to Charleston, 
S. C, and thence to France. I arrived at Providence on the 
21st of October, 1813. Here I purchased 1500 bushels of salt 
at 65 cents per bushel, from Messrs. Archibald Gracie & Sons, 
and after getting the salt on board, filled up the vessel with 
sundry articles of Northern produce ; the whole cargo amounted 
to $3,500. I took with me, as first lieutenant, my former mate 
in the Canton, Mr. Samuel Nichols, Joseph Anthony second, 
and Charles Coggeshall third lieutenant, with a company 
of about 30 petty ofiicers and men. My boatswain, carpenter, 
and gunner, with several of the crew, had just been discharged 
from the frigate President, and were very efficient, good men. 

I left Providence on the 10th of November, with a fine 
fresh gale from the N. N. W., and in a few hours ran down to 
Newport, there to lie a few days, to get ready for sea, and to 
wait a favorable time to go out of the harbor. To do that I 
required a dark night, and a N. E. snow-storm ; for in those 
days, to evade the vigilance of the enemy, we were obliged to 
wait for such nights to leave or enter our ports. On the morn- 
ing of the 14th, I met with a New- York friend, Mr. A. Foster, 
and to this gentleman I committed what little treasure I had 
left after getting ready for sea. The whole consisted of 30 
guineas, sundry bank notes, and my gold watch. I request- 
ed that he would stop at Stamford, Connecticut, on his 
way to New- York, and leave them with my sister. Miss H. C. 



VOYAGE m THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 85 

Mr. Foster kindly executed this little commission, and is en- 
titled to my best thanks. 

At this time there was a British 74 and a frigate cruising 
off the harbor of Newport, to blockade the port and watch the 
movements of the U. S. frigate Presidefit, which ship was then 
lying at Providence. 

Towards evening, on the 14th of November, I got 
under way, with the wind at E. N. E. No vessel was 
permitted to go to sea without first presenting a clearance to 
the commanding officer at the outer fort, at the entrance of the 
harbor ; consequently, I ran down near the fort just before 
dark, and, for fear of any mistake or detention, took my 
papers and went myself to the commanding officer, and 
got permission to pass by showing a light in the main 
shrouds for a few minutes. It soon commenced snowing, with 
a fresh gale at N. E. We ran rapidly out of the harbor, and 
got outside of the blockading squadron. My greatest fear uow 
was of running on to Block Island. Fortunately, howe^^er, at 
daylight we saw no land, neither was there a single sail in 
sight. 

On the 17th of November, in lat. 36° 4^ N., long, about 73° 
W., was chased by a man-of-war brig. He being to wind- 
ward, I bore off, and soon had the pleasure to run him out of 
sight. On the 24th, off Georgetown, was chas^<i all day by a 
man-of-war brig, with a schooner in company. They being 
to leeward, I consequently tacked and plied to windward, and 
made good my retreat before night. I could have got into 
Georgetown the next day, but fearing my cargo would not sell 
as well as at Charleston, I stood on for ihat port. 

Nov. the 26th, at 6 o'clock, daylighr, in ten fathoms water, 
off Cape Roman, saw a man-of-war brig on our weather quar- 
ter, distant about three miles. He soon made sail in chase. 
I kept wide off to leeward in ho2ies of drawing him down, so 
that I could weather him on the opposite tack. This manoeu- 
vre did not succeed, as the enemy only kept off about four 
points. We both therefore maintained our relative positions, 



I 

86 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONEE DAVID POETEE. 

and the chase continued for four hours. I had determined not 
to run to leeward, for fear of coming in contact with another 
foe, but to hug the wind and run in shore. At 10 o'clock 

A. M. saw Charleston light-house, bearing north, about ten 
miles distant. I set my ensign, and hauled close to the wind ; 
this brought the enemy on my starboard beam, at long gun- 
shot distance. I then fired my centre gun, but could not quite 
reach him, the wind being light from the northward. At 
half-past ten I gave hmi another shot, and though it did not 
take effect, with a spy-glass I saw the shot dash the water on 
his quarter. I suppose the reason he did not fire was, that he 
could not reach us Avith his carronades. At 11 ditto, when 
within five miles of Charleston Bar, I saw two schooners com- 
ing over the bar, and bearing directly down upon the brig^ 
when he squared his yards and ran away to leeward. The 
two schooners were the famous privateer Decatur, of Charles- 
ton, with 7 guns, and a complement of over a hundred men, 
and the other schooner was the letter-of-marque Adeline, 
Capt. Craycroft, of Philadelphia, bound to France. The 
schooners took no notice of the brig, hauled to the eastward, 
and Avere quickly out of sight. I soon crossed the bar, and 
got up to O^iarleston without any further difficulty, and there 
learned that the man-of-war brig was the Dotterall, carrying 
18 guns 

It will doubtless be recollected by all those who are famil- 
iar with our late war with England, that the privateer Decatur, 
Capt. D. Diron, captured, a few months before this period, his 

B. M. schooner Dominico. The following is the ofiicial ac- 
count of the action : 

(Copy.) 

Charleston. August 21st, 1813. 

Sir :— I have the honor to inform you that the privateer 

schooner Decatur, Capt. Dominique Diron, of this port, arrived 

here yesterday with His B. M. schooner Dominico her prize. 

She was captured on the 5th inst. after a most gallant and des- 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 37 

perate action of one hour, and carried by boarding ; having all 
her officers killed or wounded except one midshipman. The 
Dominico mounted fifteen guns, one 32-pounder on a pivot, 
and had a complement of 83 men at the commencement of the 
action, 60 of whom were killed or wounded. She was one of 
the best equipped and manned vessels of her class I have ever 
seen. The Decatur mounted 7 guns, and had a complement 
of 103 men at the commencement of the action, 19 of whom 
were killed and wounded. I have the honor to be, with 
great respect, your most obedient servant, 

JOHN H. DENT. 
Hon. Wm. Jones, Secretary of the Navy. 

During the combat, which lasted an hour, the King's 
packet-ship Princess Charlotte remained a silent spectator of 
the scene, and as soon as the vessels were disengaged from 
each other she tacked about and stood to the southward. She 
had sailed from St. Thomas, bound to England, under convoy, 
to a certain latitude, of the Dominico. The loss on board the 
Dominico consisted of killed 13, wounded 47, 5 of whom mor- 
tally. 

On my arrival at Charleston, I appointed Mr. John Marshall 
our consignee and commercial agent. We disposed of most 
of our cargo at a good profit, the salt at $1 50 per bushel, and 
the other articles at like good rates. 

After disposing of my cargo, I found no difficulty in ob- 
taining a freight for France ; but before I could commence tak- 
ing in my cotton. I was obliged to purchase abou 25 tons of 
pig-iron at $65 per ton, and some other small iron ballast. 
The whole amounted to $1700; but it was indispensable, and 
I could not take a cargo of cotton safely without it. My whole 
cargo consisted of 331 bales of compressed cotton, and 16 kegs 
of potash : 209 of these bales 1 took on freight at 26 cts. per 
pound, and 5 per cent, primage. The whole amount of my 
freight was $14,717, exclusive of the 122 bales belonging to 
the owners of tlie vessel. Allowing the owners to pay the 



38 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 

same proportion or rate of freight as the other shippers, 
the schooner would have made a gross freight of about $23,- 
300, which was certainly a great price for carrying 331 bales 
of cotton to France. For the 122 bales purchased for owners' 
account, I paid 14 cents per pound : a more ordinary quality 
could have been bought for 12 to 13 cents. About 40 
bales of the cotton, belonging to the owners, I carried on 
deck. It certainly appears like an enormous freight to make 
$23,000 in a small schooner of only 200 tons ; but when the 
expense of sailing one of these letter-of-marques is taken into 
consideration, it is not so great as might at first appear. The 
insurance at this time out to France, was from 15 to 20 per 
cent. — seamen's wages $30 per month — and other expenses in 
like proportion. 

On the 16th of December I finished loading, and got all tho 
crew on board, and the next day was ready for sea, but mi- 
fortunately the wind blew fresh from the southward, with dark, 
disagreeable, rainy weather. 

The Congress of the United States had lately assembled at 
Washington, and great fears were entertained by many that an 
embargo would soon be laid. I was, of course, extremely anx- 
ious to get out of port, as such a measure would have been 
ruinous to myself and the other owners of my vessel ; and as 
it was impossible to get over the bar while the wind was 
blowing strong, directly into the harbor, I therefore, to avoid 
being stopped, and to keep my men on board, judged 
it best to drop as low down the harbor as possible and 
watch the first favorable moment to proceed to sea. Fortu- 
nately the weather cleared up the next day, and with a favor- 
able breeze and fine weather, I left the port of Charleston on 
the 20th of December, 1813, bound to Bordeaux. I had a good 
run otf the coast, and met with nothing worth remarking until 
the 27th, about a week after leaving port, when I fell in with 
a small English brig from Jamaica, bound to Nova Scotia. 
As it was about four o'clock in the afternoon, and at the time 
blowing a strong gale from the N. W., with a high sea run- 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 39 

ning, I did not think it safe to board him until the gale should 
moderate and the sea become smoother, and therefore ordered 
him to carry as much sail as possible, and follow me on our 
course to the eastward until better weather. He reluctantly 
followed, and once before dark I was obliged to hail and give 
him to understand that if he showed too great a disposition to 
lag behind, or did not carry all the sail his brig could bear, he 
would feel the elfect of one of my stern guns. This threat had 
the desired effect, and he followed kindly at a convenient dis- 
tance until midnight, when it became very dark and squally, 
and we soon after lost sight of our first prize, which I did not 
much regret, as I could not conveniently spare men enough to 
send him into port. 

From this time until we got near the European coast we 
scarcely saw a sail, and did not meet Avith a single man-of-war. 
Thus, while the whole coast of the United States was literally 
lined with English cruisers, on the broad ocean there were very 
few to be seen : a clear proof that the risk of capture between 
Newport and Charleston, was infinitely greater than in going 
to France. 

At this period, we were not obliged to deliver the goods on 
freight at any particular place, but at any port in France, from 
St. Jean-de-Luz to Ostend. My bills of lading were filled 
up upon this principle, to " Bordeaux," or a port in France, 
so that on the arrival of the goods, the owners or agents were 
bound to receive them at any place where the vessel was 
fortunate enough to enter. My object was to get as near 
Bordeaux as possible ; still I did not like to attempt entering 
the Garonne, as the English generally kept several frigates and 
smaller vessels stationed directly off the Cordovan Light, \vhich 
rendered it extremely difficult and hazardous. I therefore de- 
cided to run for the harbor of La Teste. 

About a week before we got into port, while in the Bay of 
Biscay, namely on the 19th and 20th of Jan., we encountered 
one of the most severe gales from the westward that I ever 
experienced. It commenced early on the morning of the 19th, 



40 VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONER DAVID POETER. 

and blew a perfect hurricane, which soon raised a high cross- 
sea. At 8 o'clock A. M. I hove the schooner to under a dou- 
ble-reefed foresail, lowered the fore-yard near the deck, and got 
every thing as snug as possible. At 12 o'clock, noon, a tre- 
mendous sea struck her in the wake of the starboard fore- 
shrouds. The force of the sea broke one of the top timbers or 
stancheons, and split open the plank-sheer so that I could see 
directly into the hold. The violence of the blow and the 
weight of water that came* on board threw the vessel nearly 
on her beam ends. Fortunately the foresail was split and the 
bulwarks torn away by the water, and being thus relieved she 
gradually righted. We then threw overboard two of the lee 
guns, water-casks, (fcc, and after nailing tarred canvas and 
leather over the broken plank-sheer got ready to veer ship, fear- 
ing the injury received in the wake of the starboard fore-shrouds 
would endanger the foremast. We accordingly got ready to 
hoist a small piece of the mainsail, and then kept her off before 
the wind for a few minutes, and watched a favorable, smooth 
time to bring her to the wind on the other tack. 

During the time that the schooner ran before the wind, she 
appeared literally to leap from one sea to another. We soon, 
however, brought her up to the wind on the other tack without 
accidimt ; and thus under a small piece of the mainsail, she 
lay to pretty well. But as the gale continued to rage violent- 
ly, I feared we might ship another sea, and therefore prepared, 
as it were, to anchor the vessel head to wind. For this pur- 
pose we took a squaresail-boom, spanned it at each end with 
a new four-inch rope, and made our small bower cable fast to 
the bight of the span, and with the other end fastened to the 
foremast, threw it overboard, and payed out about 60 fathoms of 
cable ; she then rode like a gull on the water, and I was abso- 
lutely astonished to see the good effect of this experiment. 
The spar broke the sea, and kept the schooner nearly head to 
the wind until the gale subsided. 

The next day, in the afternoon, January the 20th, we 
again made sail, and on the 26th, six days after this tempest. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONEK DAVID PORTEE. 41 

got safe into La Teste, 37 days from Charleston. While we 
providentially escaped destruction, other ships were less fortu- 
nate ; many vessels were stranded and wrecked along the 
coast ; five sail of English transports were thrown on shore 
near La Teste, and most of their crews perished in the same 
gale. On my arrival at La Teste, all my papers were sent up 
to Paris, and although we were all well, still we were compel- 
led by the government to ride quarantine for six days. 

La Teste is a poor little village, principally supported by 
fish and oysters taken in its waters, and sold in Bordeaux, 
from which city it is distant 30 miles, and 54 from the mouth 
of the Garonne. The harbor has a bad sand-bar at its mouth ; 
is fit entrance only for small vessels of a light draft of water ; 
and even for them it is dangerous to approach in bad Aveather- 

I will here insert a copy of the first letter written to my 
owners on my arrival on the 9th of February, 1814. 

"Messrs. Lawrence and Wliitney, James Lovett., Esq., and 
the other owners of the schooner ; 

"Gentlemen : — I arrived here on the 20th of last month, 
after a rough passage of 37 days. No sale at all can be had 
for cotton, and no security for any thing ; the agents and 
owners of the cotton are unwilling to receive it, and one 
and all refuse to pay the freight. As soon as I can obtain per- 
mission, I shall discharge the vessel, and forward the cargo all 
up to Bordeaux by land, and endeavor to force by law the 
consignees of the cotton to receive it and pay the freight. In 
fine, 1 shall be happy if they do not throw the cotton on my 
hands for the freight. 

"No merchant in Bordeaux is willing to advance me 
half the amount of the freight due and retain it as secu- 
rity. In short, it is with the greatest difficulty that I can 
obtain sufficient money from my consignees, Messrs, Brun 
freres, to pay the necessary disbursements on my vessel. It 
is therefore at present impossible for me to say what I 
shall do. If I could collect my freight, I could remit 



42 VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONEE DAVID PORTEK. 

the amount to the United States through England, and 
gain on the exchange from 17 to 20 per cent. : or if I could get 
enough advanced on my cotton to purchase part of a cargo of 
wine and brandy, and return to some port in the United 
States or the West Indies, 1 could perhaps pick up the residue 
of a cargo from the enemy on the broad ocean. 

" As I am now situated, I know not what to do. Should 
I send my vessel home by my first officer, and should he 
be captured on the way, you would perhaps blame me, and 
say, 'Why did he not come home in the vessel himself? ' To 
leave the freight and cargo here in the hands of strangers, I 
camiot, and dispose of the cotton at a ruinous sacrifice, I will 
not; and, on the other hand, to keep the vessel here upon ex- 
pense is very painful ; and thus the whole business is beset 
with difficulties on every side. You may however rely upon 
my best exertions to promote your interest, and come what will, 
you may rest assured, gentlemen, that I shall act from pure 
motives, and strive to do justice to the utmost of my abilities." 

After performing six days quarantine, I proceeded on horse- 
back to Bordeaux. The road being intricate and somewhat 
difficult, I hired a guide to accompany me the greater part of 
the way. We often had to pass over barren sands and through 
pine forests. My guide was a merry fellow. He was mounted 
on stilts about two feet high, and with a long balance-pole, and 
a musket slung over his shoulder, had no difficulty in keeping 
up with my horse, travelling at the rate of five or six miles an 
hour. We passed through several small towns and villages 
on the way, but none of much note. I found the inhabitants 
civil and kind, but poor and ignorant. The inns and stopping- 
places were dirty and comfortless ; and after an unpleasant 
jaunt of six hours we arrived at Bordeaux. Here I made an 
arrangement with the house of Messrs. Brun freres, to transact 
my business in this place, and to direct me how to proceed with 
respect to landing my cargo at La Teste. I remained at Bor- 
deaux two days, and after having settled on a plan with 
respect to landing and storing my cargo, I returned again to 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 43 

La Teste, and as there was no public conveyance, was com- 
pelled to return on horseback. 

From Messrs. Brun freres I took a letter to Madame Caupos, 
a nadow lady, whose husband had been a merchant, and after 
his death, she continued to transact nearly all the commercial 
business of the place. She was a polite, well educated, and a 
person of excellent character. To this lady I consigned my 
vessel and cargo, so far as it respected La Teste, and agreed Avith 
her to attend to the landing, weighing, storing, and forwarding 
of my cotton to Bordeaux. She owned two large warehouses 
and had every facility and convenience for storing my whole 
cargo ; and with one young man as clerk, performed the whole 
business to my entire satisfaction. In fine, she was the only 
person in the town capable of receiving and forwarding my 
cargo to Bordeaux. 

Though La Teste was a poor little town, and without much 
trade, yet there were there several polite, agreeable, and well- 
bred families ; and although the port was difficult of ingress and 
egress on account of a dangerous bar, within the harbor it 
was quite safe from all winds. 

After several days' detention, waiting permits from Bor- 
deaux, bad weather, d:c., I at length finished discharging my 
cargo, and had it all safely stored on the 15th of February, but 
on account of the bad state of the roads, and the difficulty of 
obtaining carts, I was unable to get the cotton up to Bordeaux. 
France was now in a very unsettled state, threatened by 
its enemies on every side. It was reported, while I was 
there, that a part of the Russian and Austrian armies were 
within thirty leagues of Paris, and that Lord Wellington with 
his army was in the Landes in pursuit of Marshal Soult, who 
was on his way to Toulouse, and great fears were entertained 
that a part of the English army would soon be in Bordeaux. 
I was therefore extremely anxious to get away at all hazards, 
not knowing whether the English would respect private per- 
sons and private property. 

In this state of things I wrote to my owners on the 7th 
March, 1814. The following is an extract from my letter : — 



44 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 

'•' I have this day returned from La Teste, where I have 
been staying the last week, getting my vessel ready for sea. 
I have at length prevailed on Messrs. Brun freres to advance 
me money enough to pay my disbursements, and also to furnish 
me with sufficient means to purchase 100 casks of wine, and 
50 pipes of brandy. I have chartered a small vessel to trans- 
port the wine and brandy from this place to La Teste, and got 
it insured here against all risks, for 7 per cent, premium. I 
hope the chasse-maree, with the wine and brandy, will arrive 
safe at lia Teste the day after to-morrow, when I shall return 
to that place and send the schooner off to New- York, as soon 
as possible, under command of my first officer, Mr. Samuel 
Nichols. 

" We are all in hubbub and confusion here, and threatened 
on all sides by the enemy. All my cargo is still lying in store 
at La Teste, except about 20 bales of cotton, which are here 
in the hands of Messrs. Brun freres. 

'•I have had considerable trouble and anxiety since I ar- 
rived here, and have been obliged to make frequent journeys 
on horseback between this place and La Teste, and sometimes 
am obliged to ride half the night, and take shelter where I can 
best find it on the road. 

" All the American vessels have left this place, for fear of the 
English, and have gone down near the mouth of the Garonne — 
some are bound home to America, and others will strive to get 
to La Rochelle, as that is a strongly fortified town, and will 
probably hold out longer than this place. Every day brings us 
worse news from Paris and other quarters, and, from present 
appearances, this country cannot hold out much longer." 

The large tract of country lying between Bayonne and 
Bordeaux is familiarly called the Landes. It is bounded on 
the west by the Bay of Biscay, and extends about twenty-five 
leagues east into the interior, and is, I think, the poorest part 
of France. 

The face of the country is gejierally low, flat, sandy, and 
barren. Its forests consist principally of pine or fir trees, and 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 45 

the land is, for the most part, miserably cultivated. The 
peasantry are wretchedly poor, and chiefly clothed in sheep- 
skins. The Basque is the language of the country, and it is 
only the upper classes, or educated people, who speak French. 
In the sunmier season the sands are extremely hot, and in the 
spring and fall months, the country being low, are often wet 
and muddy, which, I suppose, is the cause of so many of the 
country people, particularly the peasants and shepherds, walk- 
ing on stilts, a foot or two above the ground, with a long 
balance-pole to support them and regulate their movements. 
I have seen them in the morning at a distance, when the 
weather was a little foggy, and they absolutely appeared 
like giants, walking over the tall grass and small trees. 
I used frequently to ask them Avhy they preferred walking on 
stilts. Their answer generally was, to keep their feet dry, 
remarking, also, that they could travel much faster, and with 
more ease, than with their feet on the ground. 

This region is very unlike the other parts of France ; and 
should a stranger visit the Landes, without seeing any other 
portion of the kingdom, he would naturally conclude that the 
French nation was only about half civilized. I recollect the 
first time I landed at La Teste, I was forcibly struck with what 
I there witnessed. 

The pilot who took my vessel into port, came off in a boat 
rowed (I had almost said manned) by four females ; and 
after the schooner came to anchor, I took one of my sailors 
with me and returned to the shore, in the pilot's boat. We 
struck on the sand, where the water was too shallow for 
the boat to come to the beach, when one of the women imme 
diately jumped into the water, took the huge pilot on her back, 
and carried him some distance to the dry land. Another 
female offered to carry me in the same way ; to this I would 
not consent. The sailor, like myself, appeared ashamed to see 
a female carry a man on her back through the surf, and in- 
stantly jumped out and took me on his back to the dry beach. 
It is true, these women were coarse and rough, but still they 



46 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 

were females, and it was therefore impossible for either my 
sailor or myself so to degrade them. All along the road, from 
La Teste to Bordeaux, I rarely saw a man at work in the 
fields ; nearly all the labor of cultivating the lands, at that 
time, was performed by females. Now and then, it is true, I 
saw an old man, and perhaps a boy, but this did not often 
occur. All the men, from sixteen to sixty, were pressed into 
the military service. It was often a melancholy sight, when 
passing through the towns and villages, to see mere boys forced 
from their parents, and taken to some military depot, there to be 
drilled for a few weeks, and then sent to some of the numerous 
armies, to be slaughtered like so many sheep and cattle. 

Although at this period the Austrian and Russian armies 
were in the neighborhood of Paris, and Lord Wellington 
was at the head of his victorious army overrunning the 
south of France, it was astonishing to see how little was known 
to the country people of this region, about the military state of 
the kingdom. Perhaps not a man in a thousand knew that 
there was a Russian or an English soldier within a hundred 
leagues of France. One day, in passing through a small vil- 
lage, I stopped at a house to get some water, and found a poor 
woman wringing her hands and weeping, as if her heart would 
break. On inquiring the cause of her grief, she said, " Sir, 
they have just taken away my son to join the army, and I have 
already lost two of my children in the same way. Oh ! I 
shall never see him again !" I offered the poor woman all the 
consolation 1 could. I told her I was a stranger, and had no 
right to interfere with the affairs of another nation, but, at the 
same time, if she would keep quiet, I could assure her that 
there was no danger of losing her son — that the wars were 
nearly at an end, and that peace, in all human probability, 
would be concluded in a few weeks, when her son would be 
restored to her again. At these words the poor creature 
was completely overjoyed, and blessed me a thousand times. 
When I mounted my horse and rode off, I could not but reflect 
with indignation on what men call military glory ; but, at the 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID POETER. 47 

next moment, I felt self-reproved, as I, too, commanded an 
armed vessel, and was, perhaps, going out in a few days to 
distress the enemies of my country. How strange and incon- 
sisteht is poor short-sighted man, condemning others when 
committing the same offence for which he would denounce his 
neighbor. 

I soon saw that the French ladies and the working women 
are removed an immeasurable distance from each other, 
almost as much so as though they did not belong to the same 
species. I often used to spend a social evening at the hospi- 
table mansion of my consignee, Madame Caupos, and 
saw there assembled some fifteen or twenty young ladies, 
and generally not more than three or four gentlemen, and 
these were military officers who had been wounded and 
disabled in the wars, and were now here attached to the 
Custom-House. This was certainly a sad state of society in a 
national point of view, when there were no young men to 
marry the fair daughters of France. 

Madame Caupos was an amiable, benevolent lady, and 
deservedly beloved by the whole town ; by way of plea- 
santry, I used often to call her, "La Reine du Village." 

The state of affairs in France daily grew worse and 
worse. Lord Wellington was following Marshal Soult day 
after day towards Toulouse. We also received bad news from 
the North, that the Austrians and Prussians were daily ad- 
vancing towards Paris, and were then within 20 leagues of 
that city. 

I received on the 5th a letter from Messrs. Brun freres, 
which induced me to hurry up to Bordeaux, to endeavor to 
bring my business to a better and more decided state, as they 
were disinclined in consequence of the unsettled state of the 
country to advance enough for my unavoidable expenses. On 
the 8th of March I hastened up from La Teste to Bordeaux, to 
prevent the chasse-maree from going round to lia Teste, and 
agreed with the captain and owners of this vessel to proceed 
with the wine and brandy to La Rochelle as soon as possible. 



48 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 

I then- made arrangements with my friends, Messrs. Briin 
freres, and left Bordeaux at 6 o'clock the same evening for 
La Teste. Soon after leaving the town, I overtook a French 
gentleman also going to La Teste. He was a military of&cer, 
and was engaged on public business, and I found him a 
most agreeable travelling companion. We rode on, picking 
our way as well as we could, until it became very dark, when 
we lost our road, and could find no one to put us in the right 
path again. After wandering about till two o'clock after 
midnight, we came to a village, where, after knocking at 
several houses in vain, we at length found one to which we 
gained admittance. It was a small house with but two rooms, 
and not one spare bed, but its inmates were civil and kind. 
We were cold, wet, and hungry, and they gave us the best 
they had, which consisted of eggs, bread, and sour wine. 
Even this was to us a grateful repast. We warmed and 
sweetened the wine, of which we drank freely, and then lay 
down on the floor by the fireside till daylight, when Ave again 
started for La Teste. We found we had wandered a great dis- 
tance from the right road, and had still about a league to go be- 
fore reaching the end of our journey. 

On my arrival at La Teste, I lost no time in preparing for 
sea. There was no other ship or vessel lying here, and no 
stone ballast, I was therefore compelled to take in sand-ballast 
in my own boat, and fill up our water casks and take them 
on board also in my own boat. We had no biscuit on board, 
and there was but one baker of any consequence in the 
town. I hastened to this important character, and agreed to 
take all the bread he could make in two days, and thus, by 
hurrying and driving, I got ready for sea on the 11th of 
March. At the end of two days I called on the baker for my 
supply of bread, when, to my great mortification and disappoint- 
ment, I could get only loaves enough to fill two bags, and this, 
for a vessel bound to La Rochelle with a crew of thirty-five in 
number, was certainly a very small allowance. It is true, I 
had salt beef and pork enough on board, but no vegetables or 
rice. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 49 

On the 11th in the evening, by letters from Bordeaux, I 
learned that the day before the town had surrendered by capit- 
ulation to a portion of Lord Wellington's army, tliat no person 
had been molested, and that perfect good order was observed 
throughout the city. All this appeared very well with respect 
to Bordeaux, but still I Avas fearful that the English would 
come down and take La Teste before I could get to sea. The 
next day, March the 12th, the wind was from the west- 
ward, and the pilot would not take my vessel to sea. He said 
that it was impossible to get out ; that there was too great a 
swell on the bar, &.c. The next day (the 13th) the weather 
was clear and the wind fresh at N. N. E. In the morning 1 
prevailed on the pilot to come on board. He told me that the 
tide would suit at five o'clock in the afternoon, and if there 
should not be too much sea on the bar at that hour, he would 
take the vessel out. Accordingly, at four o'clock I requested 
him to get under way, and be ready to pass the bar at five. 
I now found he was unwilling to go out at all. He said, " Cap- 
tain, if we should succeed in getting out, it would be impossi- 
ble to land me." I then offered him double pilotage, told him 
I was fearful the English would come down in the morning 
and make a prize of my vessel, and that I would treble his 
pilotage, and pledge him my honor, that if I waited a week 
outside, I would land him in safety. At last my patience was 
exhausted, and I found the more I coaxed and strove to per- 
suade him to go, the more obstinate he became. At length I 
said, " If you will not go to sea, pilot, just get the schooner 
under way and go down below the fort, and anchor there 
within the bar. To this proposition he consented. While 
getting under way, I went below and put into my pocket a 
loaded pistol, and again returned on deck. We soon got below 
the fort, and it was five o'clock, precisely the hour he had 
named as the most suitable to pass out over the bar, I then 
placed the pistol to his ear, and told him to proceed to sea or 
he was a dead man, and that if the schooner took the ground 
his life should pay the forfeit. The poor fellow was terribly 

4 



50 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 

frightened, and said he would do his best, and in less than fif- 
teen minutes from the time we filled away, we were fairly over 
and outside of this formidable bar. 1 then discharged the 
pistol, and assured the pilot I would do him no harm, and that 
I would wait a week if it was necessary, for good weather to 
land him in safety. He now appeared more tranquil and com- 
posed, but would not refrain from talking occasionally of his 
poor wife and children, and seemed to have a lurking fear that 
I would carry him to America. I stood off and on during the 
night, and in the morning, March 14th, the wind was light off 
shore from the eastward ; as the sea was smooth, I stood close 
in to the beach, and got our boat ready to land the pilot. I 
gave him several letters to my friends, and an order on Mad- 
ame Caupos for a considerable sum over and above his regular 
pilotage, notwithstanding I had compelled him to take my 
vessel to sea. At eight o'clock in the morning, my second 
officer with four men took Mr. Pilot on shore. I gave the 
officer of the boat positive orders to back the boat stern on to 
the shore, and let the pilot jump out whenever he could do so 
with safety. I took a spy-glass, and had the pleasure to see 
the man land, and scamper up the beach. The boat soon re- 
turned and was hoisted on board, when we made sail and stood 
ofi" in a N. W. direction. 

The wind was light from the eastward, and the weather 
fine and clear. During the night we had not much wind, and 
of course made but little progress. At daylight, March 15th, 
1814, saw a large ship on our weather quarter. I soon made 
her out to be a frigate, distant about two miles. We were now 
in a very unpleasant position, early in the morning with a 
frigate dead to windward. I manoeuvred for some ten or fif- 
teen minutes in hopes of drawing him down to leeward, so that 
I should be able to weather him on one tack or the other. 
This was often done at the commencement of the war with 
American schooners, for if the pilot-boats could succeed in 
getting the enemy under their lee, they would laugh at their 
adversary. This manoeuvre however did not succeed, he only 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 51 

kept off four or six points, and I have no doubt he thought it 
impossible for me to elude his grasp. All this time I was 
losing ground, and the ship not more than two gun shots to 
windward. 

I held a short consultation with my officers on the subject 
of attempting to get to windward (which would involve our 
receiving a broadside), or by running oif to leeward. They all 
thought it best to ply to windward and receive his fire. I 
stated that we should have to pass him within pistol shot, and 
the probability was that he would shoot away some of our 
spars, in which case we should inevitably be captured. I knew 
the schooner sailed very fast off the wind, and I thought the 
chance of escape better to run to leeward. I accordingly gave 
orders to get the square-sail and studding-sails all ready to run 
up at the same moment ; and thus when every thing was pre- 
pared, the helm was put up and every square-sail set in a 
moment. 

The frigate, not dreaming of my running to leeward, was 
unprepared to chase off the wind, and I should think it was at 
least five minutes before he had a studding-sail set : so that 1 
gained about a mile at the commencement of the chase. The 
wind was light from the E. N. E. and the weather very fine. 
I ordered holes bored in all the water casks except four, and 
the water pumped into buckets to wet the sails, also to throw 
overboard sand ballast to lighten the schooner. After this was 
done, we began to draw away from the frigate, so that at noon, 
I had gained about eight or ten miles on the chase. At four 
in the afternoon he was nearly out of sight, and appeared like 
a speck on the water. We had now time to look into our own 
situation, when to my great regret, in lieu of having four casks 
of water, the carpenter in the confusion had only left two ; 
and as the wind freshened, I found the schooner so light that 
it was unsafe to haul upon the wind. 

Sea-faring men will appreciate what was my unfortunate 
situation. Thus wide oft' to sea in the Bay of Biscay, in a 
light vessel, with scarcely ballast enough to stand upon her 



52 VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 

bottom, with a crew of thirty-five men, and only two casks of 
fresh water, and a few loaves of soft bread. 

The wind was light during the night, and towards morn- 
ing it became almost calm. At daylight, to our unspeakable 
joy, we were in the midst of a small fleet of merchant ships. 
They had left England under convoy of a frigate and a sloop-of- 
war, and had separated in a gale of wind a few days before I 
fell in with them, and were now like a flock of sheep without 
a shepherd. This little fleet was bound to St. Sebastian, and 
many of them were loaded with provisions for the British 
army. The first one I captured was a brig principally laden 
with provisions. After taking possession, I agreed with the 
captain that, if he would assist me with his boats and men to 
transport his cargo from his vessel to my schooner, I would let 
him go ; otherwise I would take what I wanted and destroy 
his brig. Of. course he was glad to make the best of a bad 
bargain ; and thus with the boats of both vessels, in two hours 
we had provisions enough for a three months' cruise. His 
Cabin was filled with bags of hard biscuit, the staff of life, which 
we took first, and then got a fine supply of butter, hams, cheese, 
potatoes, porter, &c., and last, though not least, six casks ot 
fresh water. After this was done, the captain asked me if I 
would make him a present of the brig and the residue of the 
cargo, for his own private account, to which I willingly agreed, 
in consideration of the assistance I had received from him and 
his men. 

I showed him my commission from the Government of the 
United States, authorizing me to take, burn, sink, or destroy our 
common enemy, and satisfied him that he was a lawful prize 
to my vessel. I then gave him a certificate, stating that though 
his brig was a lawful prize, I voluntarily gave her to him as 
a present. (This, of course, was only a piece of foolery, but 
it pleased the captain, and we parted good friends.) 

This was on the 16th of March, the day after my escape 
from the British frigate. 

I had now got as much water and provisions as I wanted, 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 63 

and made sail for a ship and two brigs, a mile or two off on our 
lee beam. Although the wind was very light, I soon took all 
three of them, and made the same agreement with them as 
with the other captain, that if they would assist me with all 
their boats and men to load my schooner with such part of 
their cargo as best suited me, I would let them go, otherwise 
I would send them into port as prizes, or destroy their vessels. 
This was a bitter pill, but they had the choice of two evils, 
and, of course, complied with my request. 

After having taken out a considerable quantity of merchan- 
dise, a fresh breeze sprang up from the S. W., and the weather 
became dark and rainy, which rendered it difficult to continue 
transporting any more goods from the prizes to our schooner. 
At five o'clock in the afternoon, a large ship hove in sight to 
windward. From aloft, with a spy-glass, I clearly made her 
out to be the same frigate that had chased me the day before. 
I recognized her from the circumstance of her having a white 
jib ; all the sails were dark colored except this jib, which was 
bleached. 

We of course cleared the decks and got ready for another 
trial of speed, but as my schooner was now in good trim, and 
night coming on, I had no doubt of dodging him in the dark. 
He came rapidly down within five or six miles of us, when I ran 
near my prizes and ordered them all to hoist lanterns. Neither 
of them up to this time had seen the frigate, and thus, while 
the lanterns showed their positions, I hauled oft' silently in the 
dark. Very soon after this, I heard the frigate firing at his 
unfortunate countrymen, while we were partaking of an excel- 
lent supper at their expense. 

The next day, March 17th, it was dark, rainy weather, 
with strong gales from the S. W.; saw nothing. Stood to the 
northward, under easy sail, waiting for better weather, to com- 
plete loading my little schooner with something valuable from 
another prize. 

I would here remark that small guns, six or nine pounders, 
are of little or no use on board of small vessels ; for if the sea 



54 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 

is rough, they cannot be used at all. I have found them of no 
service, but rather in the way. My only dependence was on 
my eighteeen pounder, mounted amid-ships, on a pivot. This 
gun I could use in almost any weather. With it and forty 
small-arms, I found no difficulty in capturing merchant ships. 
I selected ten of the largest and strongest men I had on board 
to work the centre gun. One of them was a huge black man, 
about six feet six inches in height, and large in proportion. 
To him I gave the command of the gun. Although so power- 
ful a man, he was the best natured fellow in the world, and a 
general favorite, both with officers and men. 

March ISth. — Still a continuation of bad weather, with a 
strong gale from the westward. At four p. m., saw a frigate 
and a brig-of-war, off my lee beam, distant about five miles. 
They made sail in chase, but under my three lower sails, main- 
sail, foresail, and jib, ' I had no fear of them. I showed my 
ensign for a few moments, and then plied to windward, making 
short tacks, and in a few hours they gave up the chase^ when I 
again pursued my course to the northward, under easy saiL 
Next day, March 19th, the wind moderated, but still there was 
a very high sea, and very unpleasant weather. 

March 20th. — Moderate breezes from the westward, and 
unpleasant weather. This day I came to the conclusion to 
land myself somewhere on the coast of France, and to send 
my vessel home, under the command of my first officer, Mr. 
Samuel Nichols ; and on an examination of a chart of the 
coast, I concluded to run for I'lle Dieu, and land there. Ac- 
cordingly I shaped my course for the island, and without meet- 
ing with any incident worth relating, made the land on the 23d 
of March, at four o'clock in the afternoon ; at six ditto landed 
on the Island in my own boat. It soon became dark, and I 
was obliged to remain on shore, with my boat's crew, all night. 

I took with me my clearance and other papers from Bor- 
deaux, with sundry newspapers, and was well received by the 
Governor and Commissary of Marine. 

March 24.th. — At six o'clock in the morning, although the 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 55 

weather was thick and rainy, and a strong breeze from the S. 
W., I sent my boat on board the schooner with a pilot, with 
orders to get the vessel into the Roads, near the town, which 
is situated on the N, E. end of the island. At two o'clock in 
the afternoon, the schooner came directly otf the town, close in 
within the fort, where, with our own boat, we took on board 
six casks of fresh water, some fresh provisions, and sundry 
small stores. I then obtained liberty from the public authori- 
ties to dispatch my vessel to the United States. 

At five o'clock in the afternoon of March 24th, 1814, I re- 
paired on board in a shore boat, and after writing a few hasty 
letters to my friends in the United States, and making a short 
address to my officers and men, I resigned the command to 
Mr. Samuel Nichols, and returned on shore with a heavy heart 
at parting with my little band of brave and faithful followers. 

The schooner was soon out of sight, as she stood round 
the south end of the island. And here I should be doing in- 
justice to the memory of these brave men, did I not give my 
feeble testimony to their good conduct from the time we left 
Charleston until parting with them at Pile Dieu. I never saw 
one of them intoxicated in the slightest degree, nor did I ever 
see one of them ill-treat a prisoner, or attempt to plunder the 
smallest article. In a word, from the first lieutenant to the 
smallest boy on board, they were faithful, good, and true men, 
and to the best of my knowledge and belief, were all born and 
bred in the United States. 

After my schooner sailed, I had leisure to look at the island, 
which lies in lat. 46"^ 42' north, long. 2^ 27' west. It is five 
leagues from the continent, directly opposite St. Gilles, and is 
of a moderate height, about three miles long and one and a 
half broad. It numbers about two thousand three hundred 
souls, and is principally supported by the fishing business. It 
is defended by a pretty strong fort at the mouth of the harbor, 
with a garrison of about three hundred men. Its produce is. 
not sufficient for its own support ; on the contrary, I was told 
hy several of the inhabitants, that it only yields about one 



56 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTEE. 

quarter part of the breadstuffs that were consumed on the isl- 
and. It has a snug httle harbor, but only accessible to small 
vessels with a light draft of water. The principal town is 
rather pleasant, and many of the houses are commodious and 
well built. 

This little island has become interesting from its historical 
association. 

On the first of October, 1795, an English squadron brought 
here a Bourbon prince and several thousand French emigrants, 
from England, to join the royal party of La Yendee, and after 
the fleet of men-of-war and transports had remained here until 
about the 15th of November, the army debarked at St. Gilles, 
when the fleet returned to England.* 

When I landed at I'lle Dieu, I took with me as one of the 
boat's crew, the large black man, Philip ; I was astonished to 
see the curiosity expressed here at the sight of a negro. He 
was followed at every step by a crowd of men, women and 
children, all desirous to see a black man ; and I soon received 
a pressing message from the Governor's lady to see him. I 
accordingly took Philip with me and repaired to the residence 
of the Governor, where were assembled all the first ladies of the 
island. They had a great many questions to ask about him, 
respecting the place of his birth, whether he was kind and 
good naturcd, &c. When their curiosity was gratified, the 
fellow begged of me as a favor to be allowed to go on board, as 
he did not like to be exhibited as a show. This request I 
readily granted, telling the ladies and gentlemen that I had an 
Indian on board, and that I would send for him. The Indian 
came directly on shore, but, to my surprise, there appeared but 
little curiosity on the part of the inhabitants to see the savage. 
This island had been as it were shut out from the rest of 
the world for twenty-five or thirty years, with little or no com- 
merce or communication with other nations, and it is therefore 
highly probable that very few of its inhabitants had ever seen 
a negro, and they were of course eager to behold one. 

* See Thiers' History Frencli Revolution. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 57 

L'lle Dieii, March 25th, 1814. Throughout this day we 
had Hght winds from the westward, and clear, pleasant wea- 
ther. I got a passport from the Commissary of Marine, and am 
now only waiting for a passage to St. Gilles. 

March 26th. Light winds from the southward with rain 
during the whole day, still waiting an opportunity to leave the 
island for the continent. 

March 27th. Throughout this day pleasant breezes from 
the N. N. E. and fine weather. At seven o'clock in the morn- 
ing, I embarked on board the chasse-maree Mariana, Captain 
Brumel, and after a pleasant passage of three hours, arrived 
safe at St. Gilles — a small seaport town on the west coast of 
France, lying in lat. 46° 40' north, long. 1° 51' west. It is 
an inconsiderable place, and only navigable for small vessels. 

At two o'clock in the afternoon, I left this place on horse- 
back for Sables d'Olonne, at which place I arrived at six o'clock 
in the evening and put up for the night. This is a pleasant 
little sea-port town, about five leagues from St. Gilles. 

March 2Sth. Fresh breezes from the S. E. and cloudy 
weather throughout this day. At ten o'clock this morning, 
left this place with the courier for Napoleon, where I arrived 
at three o'clock in the afternoon, having travelled seven leagues 
in a miserable vehicle. 

Napoleon is a newly built town, with several fine houses 
and broad streets. I had now got into the great public road, 
and after agreeing to pay sixty francs for my passage to La 
Rochelle, left Napoleon in the same vehicle at five o'clock in 
the afternoon. At eight o'clock in the evening, we arrived at 
the small village of Maria, and after having travelled about 
five leagues, we put up here for the night. 

March 29th. We left Maria at five o'clock in the morning, 
and travelled on the great public road. We passed through 
Lucan and several other towns and villages, and arrived at 
La Rochelle (18 leagues from Napoleon), at five o'clock in the 
afternoon of the same day. 

Here I put up at the Hotel des Ambassadeurs, where I was 



58 VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 

delighted to meet with many of my countrymen, and once 
more to hear the sweet somid of my native language. I found 
lying here four American vessels, the privateer brig Rattle- 
snake, Capt. Moffatt, of Philadelphia ; letter-of-marque brig 
Ida, Capt. Jeremiah Mantor, of Boston ; letter-of-marque 
schooner Commodore Decatur, Capt. Brown, of Philadelphia, 
and also a merchant brig, Capt. Smith. Besides the captains 
of these vessels, there were here several American gentlemen, 
supercargoes, waiting for passages to return to the United 
States. For several days after my arrival at La Rochelle, we 
were without news from Paris, as all communication had been 
cut off, and not a diligence was allowed to run on the road be- 
tween the two cities. The town was placed in a very anxious 
state of suspense ; every body knew that the allied armies were 
in the neighborhood of Paris, and no one dared to speak a syl- 
lable on the subject. At this time the military officers were 
seen conversing with each other in little groups, and appeared 
to be the only men that the government could rely upon. 

At length, on the 2d of April, 1814, news arrived in town 
that Paris had been taken by the allied armies on the 30th 
ultimo. The next day official orders arrived from Paris pro- 
claiming the change of government. In the capitulation 
Bonaparte was sent to Elba, and Louis XYIIL was acknow- 
ledged King of France. 

In a few minutes some one mounted a white cockade, and 
very soon after it became general, and now it was, " Vive le 
Roi," "Vive Louis XVIII." Although at that time I was no 
friend of the Emperor, I was absolutely disgusted with several 
poor devils who a few days before this great event had extol- 
led " Le grand Empereur" up to the skies, and now turned 
against him and called him " le prince des tyrans." This 
implication does not apply at all to the military, nor to the 
respectable part of the inhabitants, but to some hotel keepers 
and other mean-spirited turncoats, such as infest every part of 
the globe. 

The Rattlesnake had been lying here some weeks. She 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 59 

put in here after a successful cruise off the coast of Norway, 
and round the north coast of England. Capt. . Moffatt had 
taken a great many prizes on his last cruise : some he had 
manned and sent into port, others he had destroyed, and thus 
by his gallant conduct had rendered his country essential ser- 
vice in distressing the enemy. The Rattlesnake was a fine 
brig. I think she mounted fourteen guns, and was well 
officered and equipped. Capt. M. told me that he captured a 
British transport ship with troops, after a smart engagement, 
and that he had not a man killed in the action, and but one 
wounded ; that person was his marine officer, a young man 
belonging to New- York, who was wounded in one of his 
legs, and was here talcen to the Hospital. He had the 
best medical aid, and was tenderly nursed by the Sisters 
of Charity. He was advised by surgical men to have his leg 
amputated, and \vas warned of the danger of delay. He 
would not consent to the operation, giving for reason that 
it would spoil his dancing. The good Sisters, seeing the 
young man daily becoming weaker and weaker, were ex- 
tremely anxious that he should become a Christian (meaning 
a Catholic). To gratify them he consented (at least in 
appearance) ; they were rejoiced, thinking no doubt, they had 
been the means of saving the soul of a heretic. The poor 
fellow lingered a few weeks, and was followed to the grave by 
all the Americans in this place. 

The chasse-maree that I chartered in Bordeaux to bring to 
this place 100 casks of wine and 50 pipes of brandy, I found 
lying here waiting orders with respect to its dispositon. Capt. 
Mantor, who was bound to Boston in ballast, offered to take 
the wine and brandy at a very low freight, viz. at $45 
per ton. 

The Ida was a fine coppered brig of 272 tons burden, 
mounting eight long nine and twelve pounders, with a comple- 
ment of thirty-five men. The cost of the wine and brandy, 
mcluding the freight and charges bringing it round to this 
port, amounted to twenty-five thousand francs, or say about 



60 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 

five thousand dollars. We soon struck a bargain, and the next 
day put it on board his vessel, which, on the morning of the 
8th of April, 1814, sailed from this port in company with the 
brig Rattlesnake^ Capt. Moffatt, of Philadelphia, and the let- 
ter-of-marque schooner Commodore Decatur^ Capt. Brown, 
also of Philadelphia. 

These three vessels ran down on the north side of File de 
Re, namely between the island and the main-land. In this 
passage they met an English man-of-war brig and a schooner 
in company, and were all driven back. 

The Rattlesnake and the Commodore Decatur returned 
into port again. The Ida lay to off the east end of the 
island long enough to discharge his pilot, and then made a 
bold dash down the south side of the island, in plain sight of 
the British fleet that was lying at anchor in the Roads off La 
Rochelle. 

I will here digress from the thread of my narrative, to in- 
sert the two following letters ; as they have an intimate con- 
nection with this subject, I think it is better to place them 
here, than to leave them to a later date. 

'■ ' Captain Jerem^iah Mantor, form,erly of the brig Ida of 

Bostoti : 

'•Dear Sir: — ^Upon the score of old acquaintance, I here- 
with take the liberty of writing to you on the subject of the 
scenes through which we passed in our late war with England, 
in the years 1813 and 1814. I have been for several months 
writing a narrative of all the voyages I ever made, namely, 
from the year 1798, until I retired from the sea, in 1841. 

'•Now, my dear sir, you doubtless recollect that I com- 
manded the letter-of-marque schooner David Porter, of New- 
York, and that after I sent my vessel home from off I'lle 
Dieu, coast of France, I went on to La Rochelle, where 
we met on the 29th of March, 1814 ; and you will also recol- 
lect that I shipped by you in the brig Ida, 100 casks of wine 
and 50 pipes of brandy for Boston. I had no insurance on this 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 61 

property, and was of course extremely anxious for your 
safety. I recollect that you sailed from La Rochelle on the 
morning of the 8th of April, in company with the privateer 
brig Rattlesnake, Capt. Moffatt, of Philadelphia, and the letter- 
of-marque schooner Commodore Decatur, Capt. Brown, also 
of Philadelphia, and that you all three ran down between 
Pile de Re and the main-land, and in that passage you met 
an English man-of-war brig with a schooner in company, 
sent there to guard and block up the passage, and that 
you were all driven back. The Rattlesnake and Commodore 
Decatur returned into port again, and off the east end of I'lle de 
Re you squared away and dashed down the south side of the 
island, and liad to pass through the British fleet. At that 
time there lay at anchor in the Roads off" La Rochelle, the 
Queen Charlotte, and four ships of the line. I understood 
that one of these line-of-battle ships slipped her cables and 
made sail in pursuit of your brig. Although I was at the 
time of your sailing standing on the quay at La Rochelle, I 
still have but an imperfect idea of all that passed. And now, 
my dear sir, you would do me a great favor by giving me a 
detailed account of all you can recollect of your marvellous 
escape ; namely, the length of your passage home, the number 
of shot fired at you during the chase, and whether they threw 
more than one shot on board of your brig, and any other inci- 
dents you can call to mind will be gratefully received. 

Your bravery and good conduct in evading the close pur- 
suit of so many ships of war, ought to be published to the 
world. You certainly out-manoeuvred and out-sailed them 
all, and I am satisfied that your prompt decision and^gallant 
conduct saved the whole of the property intrusted to you. 

For this and many other kind favors, I remain your 
obliged and very grateful friend, 

GEORGE COGGESHALL." 

New- York, January 5th, 1846. 



62 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 

West Tisbury, Mass., 
Martha's Vineyard, Jan. 17th, 1846. 
" Capt. George Coggeshall : 

" Dear Sir : — I received your letter of the 5th mst., and 
am happy to hear from one of my old acquaintances. I often 
think of them and the scenes I have passed through during 
the years I have spent on the ocean. The voyage you speak 
of is well remembered, and it would not be possible, after the 
lapse of so many years, for me to give you a correct account 
of all my voyages during the late war, but I will write you 
the particulars of that passage liome, and you can make what 
use of it you think proper. 

" I left La Rochelle in company with the Rattlesnake and 
Commodore Decatur, and run out north of I'lle de Re, with a 
fair wind. Saw two men-of-war ahead, hauled our wind and 
stood back to the east end of I'lle de Re. I saw there was a 
risk in returning again into port, and might be taken there, so 
I determined at once to make a bold push, discharged my 
pilot, and made all sail to pass the south end of the island. 1 
saw in a moment several of the men-of-war under way upon 
my lee quarter. I was looking out for ships ahead, and as I 
opened the island, a schooner came down on my starboard 
side within musket shot ; she gave me a broadside and three 
cheers, shot away my studding-sail boom and main-stay, and 
some small rigging. I soon passed her, but the men-of-war 
were coming up under my lee, and the shot flying thick. 

I soon saw another ship bearing down upon .my starboard 
side. There was but one way to escape, which was, up helm 
and bring all astern, or sink ; this was quickly done, and we 
crossed the bows of the head ship so near that I cculd'hear 
them halloo on board plainly. 

The shot went most of it over me : one thirty-two pounder 
raked my deck and lodged in the -bows, one cut my anchor ofl" 
the bows and cut the chains at the same moment. I cut the 
cable and let the anchor go. My crew were on the other side 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 63 

of the deck, and in the hold heaving out ballast, which saved 
many lives. 

The vessels continued the chase until eleven at night, after 
that I saw no more of them. I think there were as many as 
eight or ten in pursuit of me. I stood out to sea, and at day- 
light saw two frigates right ahead, and had just time to haul 
upon the wind, not knowing but that I should upset, as I had 
lightened the brig so much that night; I had thrown over- 
board 6 nine-pounders during the night, and soon found her 
ready for another chase. 

At dark I had gained four or five miles upon them ; one 
was on my lee quarter, and the other astern. I was headed 
into the bay, and dare not risk to get before the wind. 

About 9 p. M. the shutter to the binnacle fell, and they 
saw my light. They made signals one to the other, and that 
sliowed me where they were. I immediately bore up before 
the wind, and at daylight saw them hull down. I now had 
once more the wide ocean, but my brig was light, which made 
my passage rather long. I think it was twenty-six days. 

Nothing more worth relating took place during our pas- 
sage. I made two voyages to France, and one to New Or- 
leans in the war, and passed through many scenes which often 
come to my mind, now I have set down in my old age to 
think of the many dangers and escapes that 1 have passed 
through. 

I shall be happy to hear from you at any time. 
Yours with respect, 

JEREMIAH MANTOR. 

I will now continue my narrative, and return to the 9th of 
April, 1814. After the Ida had made her escape, and the Rat- 
tlesnake and Commodore Decatur returned into port, these 
two vessels were watched and blockaded with more vigilance 
than ever. The English men-of-war anchored nearer the 
port, while a brig and a schooner were almostly constantly 
within gunshot of the harbor. Tranquillity having been re- 



64 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 

Stored in Paris, all the wheels of government began to move in 
a more regular train ; the mails and diligences commenced 
running throughout the kingdom as formerly. 

In a few days I settled all my business, and left this place 
in the diligence for Bordeaux, on the 12th of April, 1814, pass- 
ing through Rochefort and several other towns lying on the 
great public road, and on the 14th, namely, two days after 
leaving La Rochelle, I once more had the pleasure to return in 
safety to Bordeaux. Here I found every thing tranquil, and 
although the city was in the hands of the English, there was 
no noise or confusion. 

The theatres were all open as usual, and well supported. 
In lieu of seeing French troops and sentinels about the town, 
there were English and Portuguese soldiers stationed at every 
military post. 

I found my business had been well managed by my good 
friends Messrs. Brun freres ; a portion of my freight had been 
collected, and every thing was in a successful train. The 
English had thus far respected private persons and private 
property. 

There were no American vessels here ; nearly all of them 
had left this country. There were a few however in the 
northern ports, namely, three blockaded at La Rochelle as be- 
fore stated. The letter-of-marque schooner Kemp, Captain 
Jacobs, of Baltimore, was lying at Nantes, and the schooners 
Lion and Speticer at L'Orient. These were about all the 
American vessels left in the western ports of France. There 
were several American gentlemen, supercargoes, at Bordeaux 
and La Rochelle, waiting an opportunity to return home to the 
United States. Nearly all the American captains and super- 
cargoes at this time in France were well known to each other, 
and were upon very friendly terms. I found here, as in all 
parts of the world, that mutual interest and mutual sytnpathy 
draw men closely together. We were all devising means to 
get home, some going to Amelia Island in neutral vessels, 
others taking passage in letters-of-marque, and some few in 
ships of war. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 65 

A few days before I arrived at Bordeaux, on the 10th of 
April, there was a terrible battle fought between the French 
and English armies at Toulouse. The French army was 
commanded by Marshal Soult, and the English by Lord Wel- 
lington. This was a most sanguinary conflict. Although the 
English were victorious, they lost, in killed and wounded, 
about five thousand men, and the French about three thou- 
sand. I saw great numbers of English officers who were 
brought down to Bordeaux sadly maimed, some with the loss 
of their limbs, others cut and mutilated in a frightful manner. 
These sights and scenes were absolutely enough to sicken one 
with war. 

I had now so far arranged all my commercial affairs in 
Bordeaux, with my friends Messrs. Brim freres, that I thought 
seriously of returning to the United States, by the first good op- 
portunity. Thus, after staying in this city six days, I left it 
again on the 21st of April, to return to La Rochelle in search 
of a passage home. I took the diligence and travelled on 
the great public road along the sea-coast, and arrived in two 
days at La Rochelle. Here I found the Rattlesnake and Com- 
modore Decatur still blockaded, and as it appeared altogether 
uncertain when they would be able to get to sea, after remain- 
ing here about a fortnight, I concluded to proceed to Nantes. 
I accordingly left La Rochelle on the 10th of May ; travelled 
on the grand route, and passing through Morcilles, Napoleon, 
and several towns and villages, arrived at Nantes on the 11th 
of May. The distance from La Rochelle to this place is 100 
miles. I stopped at the Hotel de France for a few days, and 
then took private lodgings with Captain Jacobs, of the letter- 
of-marque schooner Kemp, of Baltimore. This schooner was 
anchored at PaimboBuf, near the mouth of the river Loire, about 
thnty miles below Nantes. I made frequent excursions with 
Captain Jacobs down to Paimboeuf, and found the river very 
shallow and full of flats and sand bars, and very difficult to 
ascend except for small vessels. There is, however, water 
enough at the port of Paimbceuf, and the anchorage is good 

5 



66 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER, 

and safe. The shores and meadows along the river in the 
summer season are beautiful. The grounds are highly culti- 
vated, and the houses and cottages are neat and pretty. 
Nantes is a fine old city, lying in lat. 47° 13' N., long. 1° 33 W., 
about 210 miles in a direct line S. W. of Paris. By Orleans, 
Blois, Tours, and other towns on the Loire, the distance is 
about 300 miles. It is generally well built, and has a great 
many public squares. The quays along the river are very 
fine, and shaded by rows of large elm-trees, which render them 
delightful promenades. Nantes was formerly one of the 
largest, if not the largest, commercial town in France, and is 
still a place of considerable importance in a commercial point 
of view. It numbers from one hundred and eighty to two 
hundred thousand inhabitants, and is, in my opinion, the most 
moral town of its size in the kingdom. Provisions are cheap, 
and taking every thing into consideration, it is a very desira- 
ble residence, and strangers in pursuit of health and reasona- 
ble living, will find themselves quiet and comfortable in this 
highly favored place. At the time I visited this town, there 
appeared to be about three women to one man, the male popu- 
lation having been taken away in great numbers for the last 
twenty years, to fill up the armies of France, Avhich of course 
left a very large proportion of females. 

I have before said I came on here for the purpose of obtain- 
ing a passage to the United States ; but in this I was disap- 
pointed ; there were no other American vessels here but the 
Kemp, and she was preparing to return home as a cruising 
vessel — that is to say, to pick up a cargo from the enemy on 
the ocean, if possible, and perhaps man and send, into port a fast 
sailing rich prize or two, if fortunate enough to meet with such. 
This mode of cruising, though pleasant enough as a captain, 
did not meet my views as a passenger or a volunteer. I there- 
fore concluded to return to Bordeaux again, and wait a more 
favorable opportunity to return -home. I found Capt. J. a 
pleasant, gentlemanly man, and parted with him with sincere 
regret. After spending about a month of perfect leisure 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 67 

at Nantes, I left this agreeable place in the diligence for Bor- 
deaux, on the 13th of June, 1814. The distance between the 
two cities is 216 miles, and the fare, including the expenses on 
the way, was 97 francs. We were two days on the road, and 
arrived in Bordeaux on the 15th, without accident ; and I now 
had abundance of leisure, not only to look after my commer- 
cial affairs in Bordeaux, but to partake of its various amuse- 
ments, and enjoy its hospitable society. 

On the 9th of August I received the account sales of my 
cottons, with a statement of what was due me, and also the 
balance due for freight, all of which was now settled to my entire 
satisfaction. I forthwith remitted to my owners in New- York, 
in sundry bills of exchange, $8,692, besides leaving a large 
balance in the hands of my worthy friends, Messrs. Brun 
freres ; and thus, I am happy to say, I surmounted one diffi- 
culty after another, until things began to wear a brighter as- 
pect ; and as I was unable to obtain a passage from any of the 
ports on the western coast, I decided to go up to Paris and 
spend a few weeks, and try to get a passage home from some 
of the northern ports of France. 

Before leaving this place, it would be ungrateful in me not 
to speak of the kind hospitality I received in this town ; even 
amidst war and confusion, the rites of hospitality are here 
never forgotten. The kind treatment to strangers by the in- 
habitants of Bordeaux is proverbial, and needs no repetition 
from me. Still, I am happy to bear my feeble testimony, and 
time will never efface from my memory the happy days I have 
spent in this delightful city. 

On the 15th of August, I left Bordeaux in the diligence 
for the capital. We passed through Angouleme, Poictiers, 
Tours, and along the pleasant banks of the Loire to Blois, 
Orleans, and from thence to Paris. The time occupied in 
performing this journey was five days, and the distance 1 30 
post leagues, and the whole expense, including the fee to the 
conductor, postillion, servants, &c., (fcc, was 196 francs. I 
put up at the Hotel Strasbourg, in the Rue Notre Dame des 



68 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOOISrER DAVID PORTEE. 

Yictoires. We got into the vicinity of this magnificent city 
just before the dawn of day. A young American friend was 
my travelUng companion, and we were at daylight on the 
" qui vive" to catch the first ghmpse of this vast metropoHs, 
when just as the sun was rising we ascended a hill, and be- 
hold ! the famed city of Paris was in full view. Among the 
many objects of admiration that caught the eye, the dome of 
the Hotel des Invalides was the most conspicuous ; it was 
newly gilded, and when the sun shone upon this splendid ob- 
ject, the effect was truly enchanting. I was young and en- 
thusiastic at that time, and shall never forget the impression 
made on my mind by this, my first view of this astonishing city. 

It was absolutely like transporting one to another world. 
I had read its history from my boyish days, and now, for the 
first time, beheld it in all its magnificence and sublimity. 
Since that time I have visited many parts of the globe, and 
even down to this date, 1846, I have never met its equal. 
London, certainly, covers a greater space, and has almost 
double the number of inhabitants ; still, there never was, nor 
ever will be, but one Paris. 

Immediately on my arrival in Paris, I wrote the following 
letter to the several owners of the David Porter : 

Paris. 20th August, 1814. 
Messrs. Lawrence 6f Whitney, James Lovett, Esq., and the 

other owners of the David Porter : 

Gentlemen : — I have this moment arrived here from Bor- 
deaux. I came here in hopes of obtaining a passage home in 
the ship John Adams, from Amsterdam, which ship, I am in- 
formed, is to sail in about a week from this day for America. 
I need not tell you my disappointment to learn from several 
American gentlemen who are here, that they, with several 
others in London, have applied to our Minister for a passage 
in said ship, and have been refused, and that it is absolutely 
impossible to obtain a passage in the John Adams on any 
terms. How, or in what way, I shall get home, I am not able 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 69 

to say, but assure you I shall embrace the first opportunity. 
It was not until the 9th instant, that I got my business settled 
with Brun freres. Inclosed I send you one set of bills of ex- 
change, amounting, together, to $8,691, all of which, I trust, 
will be paid, without any difficulty ; if they are not, the per- 
sons from whom I bought them are fully able to pay them, 
should they be returned. I inclose you, also, account sales of 
our cotton. Independent of what I now remit you, I have 
left in the hands of Messrs. Brun freres about 40,000 francs. 
What I now remit you, with what I have left in the hands of 
Brun freres, all belong to the joint concern of the owners of 
the David Porter, when the voyage is settled, except a small 
sum due to my officers. 

The amount of Messrs. Archibald Gracie & Sons' cotton, 
I have remitted to them in a bill of exchange on a gentleman 
in Baltimore. At present, the exchange between this country 
and England is 23 1^ francs per pound sterling, which is nearly 
at par, consequently unfavorable to remit to the United States 
by way of England ; and as I am unable to obtain any more 
good bills on the United States, I rather think I shall leave the 
remainder of the funds with Brun freres, where they will be 
safe, at the same time gaining four per cent, interest per an- 
num. The inclosed bills I bought at from 9 to 10 per cent, 
below par. 

As you may suppose, I am very much fatigued after so 
long a journey ; but for fear my letter will not be in time to go 
by the John Adams, I am obliged to write this in haste, which 
I hope you will receive as an apology for my not writing more 
particularly. 

I hope before long I shall be able to find a passage home 
some way or other, when I trust I shall have the pleasure to 
explain every thing to your satisfaction. 

As I am too late to write any of my friends by this oppor- 
tunity, please advise them the substance of this letter, and oblige 
Your obedient s.ervant, 

GEORGE COGGESHALL. 



70 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 

After having delivered several letters of introduction from 
my friend in Bordeaux, I occupied myself for some days at- 
tending to commercial business, and among other things, pur- 
chased five thousand francs worth of French silks, shawls^ 
silk stockings, &c. These articles were all carefully packed 
and dispatched to Bordeaux, to be shipped by the first fast 
sailing American schooner that should leave that place for the 
United States. When this was accomplished, I commenced 
visiting the various museums, libraries, public gardens, palaces^ 
(fee. It being a fine season of the year,.! also made excursions 
to St. Cloud, Versailles, St. Germain, St. Denis, and other places 
in the neighborhood of the metropolis. 

There are in this great city so many objects of curiosity,, 
that a stranger may spend several months with pleasure and 
profit in visiting them. 

The day before I left Paris, I wrote the following letter : — 

Paris, September^ 8th, 1814. 
Messrs. Archibald Grade ^ Sons: 

Gentlemen : — I send you inclosed a bill of exchange for 
$991, on James Williams, Esq., of Baltimore. This is the 
net proceeds of your 51 bales of cotton. By the ship John 
Adams, I forwarded you one set of these bills and account sales.. 
I also sent one copy to L'Orient, to be forwarded. This, I 
shall send to England, to go by the Cartel, which, 1 am told^ 
is now fitting for the U. S. 

I am extremely sorry, gentlemen, your shipment of cotton- 
has turned out so much to your disadvantage. I however 
hope you will do me the justice to believe I have done the best 
I could in the business, I came on here for the purpose of 
getting a passage in the John Adams from Amsterdam, but 
was disappointed, as they are not allowed to take passengers^ 
1 am' also informed that the Cartel, which is now fitting away 
from England, takes none but prisoners. I shall, therefore^, 
leave here to-morrow morning for Bordeaux, and endeavor to- 
get a passage to Amelia Island, or the West Indies, and from 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 71 

thence home, when I hope 1 shall have the pleasure to explain 
every thhig relating to your shipment to your satisfaction. 
I am, gentlemen, with respect and regard, 
Your obedient servant, 

GEORGE COGGESHALL. 

P. S. I wrote by the schooner Commodore Decatur, brig 
Rattlesnake^ and Commodore Perry, which letters I fear you 
have never received, as it is here reported that all those vessels 
have been captured. 

Yours truly, 

G. C. 

At this period there was but a small number of American 
gentlemen in Paris, consequently they were generally known 
to each other. 

The Ambassador from the United States, residing here, was 
the Hon. Wm. H. Crawford. He was highly respected and es- 
teemed by the Americans, and seemed to take pleasure in acts 
of kindness and benevolence to his countrymen. From a tur- 
bulent state of war and confusion, Paris had lately become 
quiet and tranquil. Louis XVHI., and other members of the 
royal family, used almost daily to show themselves from the 
balcony of the Tuileries, and I frequtnitly saw the Duke and 
Duchess of Angouleme riding on horseback in various parts of 
the city. 

The theatres and all public places of amusement were 
open, and appeared to be well pationized and supported. 
There were vast numbers of strangers here from different parts 
of Europe, and everybody seemed to be in pursuit of pleasure. 

After having spent twenty days amidst these gay scenes, I 
left Paris on the 9th of September, 1814, in the diligence, and 
returned by the same route by which I came up, passing 
through Orleans and down along the banks of the Loire, and so 
on to Bordeaux, where 1 arrived on the 13th of September, 
without accident. 



72 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONEE DAVID PORTEE. 

I had many kind friends in this city, and returned to it 
with pleasure, but found those from America were daily dimin- 
ishing ; some returning home in neutral ships, by way of the 
West Indies and Amelia Island ; others going to Holland to 
take passage from that country. My friend Robert R. Stewart, 
Esq., of Philadelphia, after waiting several months for a pas- 
sage to the United States, had left this place for L'OrienI, in 
hopes of getting a passage from that city to the United States 
with Capt. Blakely, in the Wasp. This ship, after having 
captured the British sloop-of-war Reindeer, put into L'Orient 
for supplies, and here Mr. Stewart joined her. They sailed 
from that place on the 27th of August, 1814, bound on a cruise 
for several months, and at the expiration of the appointed time 
intended to return to the United States. 

A few days after leaving port she made several prizes, and 
on the evening of the 1st of Sept., she engaged and captured 
the British sloop-of-war Avon, of 18 guns. A few minutes 
after this ship had surrendered, the English brig-of-war Cas- 
iilian, of 18 guns, fired one broadside into the Wasp, and then 
hauled off and escaped in the darkness of the night. There is 
scarcely a doubt that the Wasp would have taken the Castil- 
ian also, if they had been favored with daylight. While on 
board the Wasp, Mr. Stewart joined the marine corps, as a 
volunteer, and thus assisted under the brave Blakely to van- 
quish the enemies of his country. 

About the middle of September, the Wasp took and destroy- 
ed two British brigs ; and on the 21st of the same month, in 
lat. 33° 12' north, long. 14° 56' west, she captured the British 
armed brig Atalanta. This being a valuable prize, Captain 
Blakely determined to send her into port. He put on board of 
her as prize-master. Midshipman Geisinger, and a prize crew. 
In this brig, Mr. Stewart went as passenger. She arrived safely 
at Savannah on the 14th of November, 1814. These two gen- 
tlemen and the prize crew are all t;hat escaped from the ever- 
to-be-lamented Wasp and her gallant crew. I take pleasure 
in stating these facts, that the patriotic conduct of my friend 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER DAVID PORTER. 73 

may be known to the world, as I have never seen his name 
mentioned in connection with the ill-fated Wasp (in any offi- 
cial account), and I deem it but a matter of common justice to 
record my knowledge of these facts. There were very many 
patriotic individuals during our late war with England who 
rendered essential service to their country and are entitled to 
its gratitude, whose acts, I am sorry to say, are almost entirely 
unknown ; for instance, my worthy friends Mantor, of the Ida, 
and Stewart, who was a volunteer on board the victorious 
JVasp. 

While in Bordeaux, I heard the gratifying news of the safe 
arrival of the schooner David Porter, at Gloucester, Cape 
Ann, and also of the arrival of the brig Ida, at Boston. After 
I left the David Porter, at I'lle Dieu, under the command of 
Mr. Nichols, he captured on his passage home several British 
prizes, from which vessels he loaded the schooner, and carried 
with him into port ten prisoners. Soon after his arrival at 
Cape Ann, he proceeded with the David Porter to Boston, at 
which place the vessel and cargo were consigned to the re- 
spectable house of Messrs. Munson & Barnard, at that place. 
These gentlemen sold both vessel and cargo at high prices. 
They also sold the brandy and wine, by the brig Ida, at a very 
good profit, and closed the whole concern to the entire satis- 
faction of all parties. I think the schooner sold for $10,000, 
and was soon fitted out as a regular privateer, and I believe 
was afterwards very successful. 

Messrs. Munson & Barnard also received from the govern- 
ment of the United States, $1,000 as a bounty on the ten pri- 
soners. 

The trunk of goods which I purchased in Paris for 5,000 
francs, or say $1,000, was shipped by my friends in Bordeaux, 
on board the Baltimore schooner Transit, Capt. Kichardson. 
This vessel arrived in New- York on or about the 8th of March 
1815, and this trunk of goods sold at auction for $2,075. 



74 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONEE DAVID POETER. 

Bordeaux, Oct. Ist.^ 1814. 

I had now closed the voyage of the David Porter^ so far 
as it devolved upon me, and will here close the subject with a 
few remarks. 

When it is considered how many obstacles we met with, 
from the commencement of the voyage on the 14th day of 
Nov., 1813, until its conclusion, I think it will be conceded that 
we triumphed over many difficulties, and ultimately made a 
good voyage ; and I am happy to add, to the entire satisfaction 
of all the owners of the fortunate little schooner. 

I will here insert the following letter to my brother Charles 
Coggeshall, second lieutenant of the letter-of-marque David 
Porter, at Milford, Connecticut. 

Bordeaux, Oct. 2\st, 1814. 

Dear Charles : — I am now on the eve of leaving this 
place for L'Orient, to take command of the elegant American 
schooner Leo. I have been waiting several months to obtain 
a passage home to the United States, and have consented to 
take charge of this schooner, to proceed from France to 
Charleston or some other southern port. 

Your cotton netted 903 francs. The account sales I have 
sent to Messrs. Lawrence and Whitney, and desired them to 
pay you the amount, together with the gain on the exchange, 
which is about 10 per cent. 

You may, perhaps, ask why I did not invest the amount 
in French goods, that you might have gained a larger profit. I 
answer that I did not feel myself authorized to hazard your 
property without your consent, the risk of capture being in my 
opinion very great. 

I was very happy to hear of your safe arrival in the 
David Porter. Both Captain Nichols and yourself, and in 
fact, all the officers and men deserve a great deal of praise, 
and I do assure you 1 shall never forget your faithful and very 
friendly conduct during the whole voyage. Yes, Charles, al- 
though I sometimes scold a little when we are together, I need 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONEE DAVID PORTER. 75 

not tell you how dear you are to me. and that your faithful 
and brave conduct has entirely won my heart. I hope you 
will study navigation, and improve your mind by reading 
while you remain at home, and thus qualify yourself to com- 
mand a ship when the war is ended. Should the enemy dare 
to molest the part of the country where you may be, I hope 
and trust you will be among the first to drive them into the 
sea. Our father fought them in 1775, before he was as old as 
you are, and I hope he has not left a son who would not de- 
fend his country, if necessary, with his heart's blood. 

We hear nothing from America but degrading defeats 
and losses of every kind. Washington burnt, beaten here and 
there, and every thing appears to be going to the devil. If 
things go on no better, I shall be ashamed to acknowledge my- 
self an American. 

I shall write to mother and sister by the same vessel that 
conveys this to you. 

Remember me affectionately to our brothers James and 
Francis, and believe me, my dear Charles, 

Your sincere friend and brother, 

GEORGE COGGESHALl.. 



CHAPTER IV. 

CRUISE IN THE LETTER-OF-MARQUE SCHOONER " LEO," FROM 
L'ORIENT TO CHARLESTON, AND HER CAPTURE, IN^ THE YEARS 
1814 AND 1815. 

The Leo was a fine Baltimore built vessel of 320 tons, 
a remarkably fast sailer, and in every respect a superior vessel. 
She was lying in the harbor of L'Orient on the 1st of Novem- 
ber, 1814, and was then owned by Thomas Lewis, Esq., an 
American gentleman residing in Bordeaux. On the 2d of 
November, she was purchased by an association of American 
gentlemen (then in France), placed under my command, and 
her commission as a letter-of-marque endorsed over to me un- 
der the sanction of Hon. William H. Crawford, who was at the 
time our minister at Paris. It was determined that I should 
make a short cruise for the purpose of capturing a few prizes 
from the enemy, and then proceed to Charleston for a cargo of 
cotton, and return as soon as possible to France. 

As there were at the time quite a number of American sea- 
men in Bordeaux, Nantes, and L'Orient, supported by the 
government of the United States through the consuls at those 
ports, it was desirable to take home as many of them as the 
schooner could conveniently accommodate. 

I took with me as first officer, Mr. Pierre G. Depeyster, and 
left Bordeaux by diligence for L'Orient. On our way we 
stopped a day or two at Nantes, where I engaged, with the 
sanction of our consul at that port, forty seamen and two petty 
ofiicers. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER LEO. 77 

Mr. Azor O. Lewis, a fine young man, brother of the former 
owner of the Leo, was one of my prize masters, and to him I 
committed the charge of bringing about forty more seamen 
from Bordeaux to L'Orient. The residue of the officers and 
men were picked up at L'Orient, with the exception of four or 
five of my petty officers, who came up from Bordeaux to 
L'Orient. 

Early in November we commenced fitting the schooner 
for sea. We found her hull in pretty good order, but her sails 
and rigging were in a bad state. I, however, set every thing 
in motion, as actively as possible, and put in requisition sail- 
makers, blockmakers, blacksmiths, &.c. &c., while others were 
employed taking in ballast, filling water casks, <fcc., in fine, 
hurrying on as fast possible, before we should be stopped. 

The English had so much influence with the new govern- 
ment of Louis XVIII. that I felt extremely anxious to get out 
on the broad ocean without delay, and therefore drove on my 
preparations almost night and day. 

After ballasting, I took on board 3 tons of bread, 30 barrels 
of beef, 15 ditto of pork, and other stores to correspond, being 
enough for fifty days. 

I got ready for sea on the 6th of November. My crew, in- 
cluding the officers and marines, numbered about one hundred 
souls, and a better set of officers and men never left the port of 
L'Orient. But we were miserably armed ; we had, when I first 
took the command of the schooner, one long brass 12-pounder, 
and four small 4-pounders, with some fifty or sixty poor mus- 
kets. Those concerned in the vessel seemed to think we 
ought, with so many men, to capture prizes enough, even 
without guns. With this miserable armament I was now 
ready for sea, and only waiting for my papers from Paris. I 
was ordered by the public authorities to return into port and 
disarm the vessel. I was compelled to obey the order, and 
accordingly waited on the commanding officer, and told him it 
was a hard case, that I should not be allowed arms enough to 
defend the vessel against boats. He politely told me he was 



78 VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONER LEO. 

sorry, but that he must obey the orders of the government, anJ 
that I must take out all the guns except one, and at the same 
time laughingly observed that one gun was enough to take a 
dozen English ships before I got to Charleston. 

I of course kept the long 12-pounder, and in the night 
smuggled on board some twenty or thirty muskets. In this 
situation I left the port of L'Orient, on the 8th of November, 
1814, and stood out to sea in the hope of capturing a few 
prizes. After getting to sea we rubbed up the muskets, 
and with this feeble armament steered for the chops of the 
British Channel. I soon found that when the weather was 
good and the sea smooth, I could take merchantmen enough 
by boarding ; but in rough weather the travelling 12-pounder 
was but a poor reliance, and not to be depended upon like the 
long centre gun that I had on board the " David Porter P 

It is true my officers and men were always ready to bodrd 
an enemy of three times our force ; but, in a high sea, if one 
of these delicately Baltimore-built vessels should come in con- 
tact with a large strong ship, the schooner would inevitably be 
crushed and sunk. For this reason, I was compelled to let one 
large English ship with twelve guns escape while in the Eng- 
lish Channel, because the weather was too rough to board her. 

On the 9th, boarded the French ship " Le Tarfare" sixty- 
eight days from St. Domingo, bound to Nantes, also a Dutch 
galiot from Ostend, bound to La Rochelle : Lat. by obs. 46° 17' 
North ; Long. 4° 2' West. 

Nov. IQth. First part of this day moderate breezes, with 
cloudy weather and rain. During the remainder of the day 
we had strong gales from the N. N. W., with a high sea run- 
ning. Lat. 46° 9^ North. 

Nov. IWi. The day commenced with moderate breezes 
from the N. E. and pleasant weather. At 6 o'clock a. m. 
saw a sail bearing W. N. W., made all sail in chase ; at 8 
o'clock spoke the chase ; she proved to be a galiot four days 
from Oberson, with a cargo of salt, bound for Ostend. Lat. by 
obs. 47° 5' North"^ Long, 6° 18^ West. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER LEO, 79 

Nov. 12th. In the morning, light breezes and cloudy 
weather. At 5 o'clock in the afternoon we spoke the galiot 
Topsher, from Bayonne, bound to Antwerp with a cargo of 
brandy. The day ended with strong gales at N. N. W. and a 
high sea rmining. Lat. 48° 49' N. ; Long. 7° 40' W. 

Nov. 13th. This day commenced with strong breezes and 
cloudy weather. Spoke a Danish galiot from Malaga, bound 
to Amsterdam, also the French ship Stanislaus from Havre 
bound to Martinque. At 6 in the afternoon sounded in sixty- 
five fathoms water, the Scilly Islands bearing jN. W. fifteen 
leagues distant. Light winds and variable through the night. 
At 6 A. M. saw a brig to windward. At 7 ditto she set 
English colors ; gave her a gun, when she struck her flag. 
She proved to be an English brig from Leghorn, bound up the 
Channel. It now commenced blowing a strong breeze from 
the N. W., and soon there was a high sea running. Saw a 
large ship steering up the Channel ; left the prize, made sail in 
chase of her. At 10 a. m. she set English colors, and fired a 
gun. Had the weather been smooth, I think we could have 
carried her by boarding in fifteen minutes, or had I met her at 
sea, I would have followed her until the weather was better 
and the sea smooth : but being now in the English Channel 
with a high sea, it would have destroyed my schooner if she 
had come in contact with this wall-sided ship. She showed 
six long nines on each side, i After exchanging a few shot, I 
hauled off, and then relumed to our prize. Fresh gales and 
cloudy weather. 

Nov. l^th. These twenty-four hours commenced with 
fresh breezes and cloudy weather. At 2 p. m. the weather 
moderated, when I took out of the English prize brig the cap- 
tain, mate and crew, and put on board of her a prize-master 
and seven men, with orders to proceed to a port in the United 
States. At 4 p. m. saw a sail to windward, when we made 
sail in chase. At 8 ditto it became dark and squally ; lost 
sight of the chase. At 8 a. m. saw our prize ahead ; we soon 
came up with her, when I supplied her with two casks of water 



80 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONEE LEO. 

and a quantity of bread, and left her to proceed on her course 
to the United States. 

Nov. 15th. These twenty-four hours commenced witli 
fresh gales from the westward, with a rough sea running. 
Middle and latter part of these twenty-four hours, the wind 
continued to blow strong from the westward with a high sea. 
As it was now the middle of November, and no prospect of 
much fine weather, and my schooner so badly armed, I con- 
cluded to leave this rough cruising ground and run to the south- 
ward, in hopes of finding better weather, where I could profit 
by a superior number of men in making prizes. Lat. 47° 28' 
North. 

Nov. 1 6th. — These twenty-four hours commenced with fresh 
gales at S. W., with a high sea. At midnight the wind suddenly 
shifted to the N. W., and blew a strong gale from that quarter : 
double reefed the lower sails, and stood to the southward. At 7 
A.M. it moderated ; saw a sail to the eastward ; made sail in 
chase ; at 9 ditto, boarded the chase. She proved to be the Spa- 
nish brig Diligent, Capt. Joseph Antonio de Bard, from Bilboa, 
bound to London. Put eight English prisoners on board of 
her, with a tolerable supply of provisions, when he proceeded 
on his .course. At 10 a. m. saw two sail to the westward, 
and made sail in chase. Lat. by obs. 47° 10^ N. ; Long, 8° 
0/W. 

Nov, 17th. — These twenty-four hours commenced with 
brisk breezes from the N. N. W., and cloudy weather. At 
3 p. M. boarded the Spanish brig Alotizo. She was from 
Tenerifie, bound 'to London. On board of this vessel I put the 
captain, late master of our prize brig. At 4 ditto spoke a 
galiot under Hamburg colors, from Bilboa, bound to Bristol, 
England. Four sail in sight, light airs and fine weather. 
Made sail in chase of the nearest vessel at noon. The chase 
hove to and hoisted Spanish colors. When about to board 
this brig, we discovered an English man-of-war very near, in 
full chase of us. 

Nov. 18th. — Light winds and fine weather ; the man-of- 



VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONER LEO. 81 

war brig still in chase of us, about two miles distant. At 8 
p. M. light breezes from the southward ; passed near a brig 
standing to the eastward ; had not time to board her, as the 
man-of-war was still in chase. At midnight the wind became 
fresh from the W. S. "W., with dark, rainy weather. Took in 
all the light sails, and hauled close upon the wind to the W. 
N. W. At 7 A. M. saw a small sail on our weather-bow ; 
made sail in chase. At 10 ditto came up with and captured 
the chase ; found it was an English cutter, from Teneriffe, 
bound to London, with a cargo of wine. 

Nov. 19th. — These twenty-four hours commenced with 
strong gales from the northward, and a high sea running. At 
meridian took out of the prize twenty quarter casks of wine, 
together with her sails, cables, rigging, blocks, &c., and after 
removing the prisoners, scuttled her. At 1 p. m, she sank. 
Strong gales from the northward and rainy weather during 
the night. At 7 a. m. saw a sail to windward ; tacked 
ship to get the weather-gage. At 11 ditto got her on our 
lee beam, when I made her out to be an English brig-of-war of 
sixteen guns. I commenced firing my Jong twelve. At noon^ 
after receiving about thirty or forty shot from the enemy, with- 
out any material damage, I hauled off. Some of his shot 
passed over us, some fell short ; and only one of his shot hulled 
us : this shot passed through our bends amid-ships, and lodged 
in the hold. I could outsail him with the greatest ease, and 
if I had had a long well-mounted centre gun, I could have 
annoyed him without receiving any injury by keeping just out 
of reach of his carronades. These twenty-four hours ended 
with fresh gales from the N. W. with a high sea running. 
Lat. 47° 56' N. ; long. 11° 9' W. 

Nov. 20th. — These twenty-four hours commenced with 
fresh gales and variable squally weather. Two sail in sight ; 
made sail in chase. At half-past 4 p. m. spoke one of 
them, which was a Hamburg bark from St. Thomas, bound 
home. At 7 ditto boarded a Dutch brig, from Faro, bound 
to Rotterdam, with a cargo of fruit, and, of course, permitted 

6 



82 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER LEO. 

him to proceed on his course. During the night we had a con- 
tinuation of strong gales, and bad weather, with much sea. 
At 11 A. M. saw a sail to the westward; at meridian 
came up with and boarded her. She proved to be the Dutch 
brig Hope, from Naples, bound to Amsterdam, with a cargo of 
wine. Lat. by obs. 46° 36^ N. ; long. 12° 22' west. 

Nov. 21st. — These twenty-four hours commenced with 
fresh winds from the N. N. E., and squally weather. At meri- 
dian saw a sail bearing W. S. W. ; made sail in chase. At 
4 p. M., she being directly to leeward, I ran down to dis- 
cover the character of the chase ; I soon made her out to be a 
frigate. When within three miles' distance, I hoisted an 
English ensign. The frigate showed Portuguese colors, and 
resorted to every stratagem in his power to decoy us down 
within the range of his shot. Finding I could outsail him with 
ease, I hauled down the English colors, set an American en- 
sign, and hauled close upon the wind, and soon lost sight of 
him. During tine night we had fresh gales at E. N. E., and 
squally weather. At 7 a. m. saw a small sail bearing 
iS. S. W. ; made sail in chase. I soon came up with and 
boarded an English schooner from Malaga, bound to Dublin, 
with a cargo of fruit. Took out the prisoners and a supply of 
fruit, and then manned her and gave orders to the prize mas- 
ter to make the best of his way to the United States. Lat. by 
account 45° 33' N. ; long. 12° 0' W. 

Nov. 22d. — These twenty-four hoiu's commenced with 
light airs and fine pleasant weather. At 3 p. m. came up 
with and boarded a Danish galiot ; at 12 o'clock, mid- 
night, put ten English prisoners on board of Vier. I supplied 
them with provisions, and a quarter cask of wine, and the 
galiot proceeded on her voyage. She was from Marseilles, 
bound to Hamburg, with a cargo of wine and oil. At 8 
A. M. saw a sail bearing N. N. E. ; made sail in chase, and at 
11 boarded her. She proved to be a Swedish barque from 
St. Ubes, boimd to Stockholm. The day ends with dark, 
rainy, and gloomy weather, with considerable sea. Lat. by 
account 45° 53' N. ; long. 13° 0' W. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER LEO. 83 

Nov. 2Z(l. — These twenty-four hours commenced with 
fresh gales from the southward, with dark, rainy weather. At 
1 p. M. wore ship to the S. E. in chase of a brig ; at three 
came up with and spoke her. She proved to be a Prussian, 
from Oporto, bound to Hamburg, with a cargo of wine and 
fruit. Middle part of the twenty-four hours, strong gales from 
the N. N. W. At noon discovered two frigates to leeward. 
They both made sail in chase of me. I plied to windward, 
tacking every hour, and beat them with great ease ; but, as 
there were two of them, I was not quite at ease until I had got 
out of their neighborhood. These twenty-four hours end with 
strong breezes from the N. W., with showers of rain. Lat. by 
obs. 45° 8' N.; long. 13° 6' W. 

Nov. 24//i. — These twenty-four hours commenced with 
fresh gales from the N. W., and squally with showers of rain 
and a high head-sea running ; the two frigates still in chase of 
us. At 5 p. M. the weathermost frigate was about ten or 
twelve miles distant to leeward ; finding I could beat them 
with so much ease, I reefed the sails, and plied to windward. 
Towards morning the wind moderated, and at daylight there 
was nothing in sight. Lat. by obs. 44° 34' N., long. 15° 8' W. 

Nov. 25th. — These twenty-four hours commenced with mod- 
erate breezes from the westward, and fine weather. At 3 p. m. 
discovered a sail bearing about S. E. ; made sail and bore away 
ni chase. At half-past three, made her out to be a frigate, 
when I hauled upon the wind. At four ditto she fired a gun, 
and showed American colors. I set an American ensign for a 
few minutes, and then hauled it down and hoisted a large 
English ensign. He fired three or four shot, but finding they 
fell short, stopped firing and crowded all sail in chase of me. 
Night coming on I soon lost sight of him. During the night 
we had fresh breezes and cloudy weather. At daylight there 
was nothing in sight; took in sail; during the remainder of 
these twenty-four hours we had fresh gales from the westward, 
with dark, thick weather. Lat. by obs. 43° 2' N. 

Nov. 2Qth. — These twenty-four hours comrjienced with 



84 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONEE LEO. 

strong gales from the W. j\. W., and thick, squally weather. 
At 1 p. M. discovered a sail to the windward, bearing N. W., 
made sail in chase, tacking every hour. At 5 ditto, made 
him out to be a ship standing upon the wind to the N. E. At 
half-past 9 o'clock, after getting on his weather quarter, ran 
up along side, hailed him, and ordered him to heave to, which 
order was immediately obeyed. I sent my boat on board, and 
found him to be an English ship, burthen about 200 tons, from 
Palermo, bound to London, with a cargo of brimstone, rags, 
mats, (fcc. He mounted six guns, with a crew of about twen- 
ty men. We kept company through the night. The latter 
part of these twenty-four hours, light winds and fine weather. 
Lat. by obs. 42° 31/ N., long. 15° 46^ W. 

Nov. 27th. — Commenced with light breezes from the N. W., 
and fine, pleasant weather. In the forenoon of this day re- 
moved the prisoners from the ship and put on board a prize 
master and a crew of ten men. I also took out his guns, 
powder, shot, and some fruit, and then ordered her to proceed 
to the United States, At 2 p. m. made sail and steered to 
the S. W., and at 5 ditto lost sight of the prize. These 
twenty-four hours end with light winds from the W. N. W., 
and cloudy weather. Lat. by obs. 41° 3' N,; long. 15° 
46' W. 

Nov. 28th. These twenty-four hoiu's commenced with a 
continuation of the same wind and weather, nothing in sight. 
During the night we had light winds and cloudy weather, witbi 
a little rain. 

At 8 A. M. boarded a Dutch galiot, four days from Lis- 
bon, bound to Rotterdam with a cargo of salt. Put the 
captain of the prize ship, his mate, and three of his crew, on 
board this galiot, which then proceeded on his voyage. 

At noon brought to and boarded the Swedish brig Johanna, 
fourteen days from Dublin, in ballast, bound to Alicant. 

The weather being fine, we painted the schooner. Lat. 
by obs. 39° 56' N. ; long. 15° 16' W. 

Nov. 29th. These twenty-four hours commenced with 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER LEO. 85 

light winds from the N. E. and fine weather : at midnight 
hove to — Hght winds and smooth sea. 

At half past 6 a. m. dayUght, saw a small sail bearing 
S. E. ; at 7 spoke her ; she was a small schooner, one day 
from Lisbon, bound to Oporto, At this time made the Burling 
Rocks, bearing S. S. E. five leagues distant ; several small 
sail in sight. At meridian the Rock of Lisbon bore S. by E. 
seven leagues distant. Fresh breezes from the N. E. and fine 
weather. Lat, by obs. 39° V N. 

Nov. 30ih. These twenty-four hours commenced with 
light winds from the northward, with light squalls of rain. 
At 6 p. M. wore ship and stood off" shore, and at midnight 
hove to. 

At 7 A. M. saw a sail to the eastward. Made sail and 
soon spoke the chase, which proved to be the French brig 
Two -Brothers, one day from Lisbon, bound to Morlaix, At 
meridian the Rock of Lisbon bore East twelve leagues distant. 
Moderate breezes and cloudy weather. Lat. by obs. 38° 
33' N. 

Dec. \st. These twenty-four hours commenced with fresh 
breezes at N. N. W., with open cloudy weather. 

At 1 p. M. saw a ship on our weather quarter, coming 
up with us very fast, I made sail, steering to the westward, 
to get to windward of the ship, in order to ascertain her 
character. It was then blowing a strong breeze from the N, 
N. W., and the weather was somewhat squally ; a head-sea 
was running. About half-past 2 p. m. the schooner gave 
a sudden pitch, when, to the astonishment of every person on 
board, the foremast broke, ajDout one-third below its head, 
and in a moment after it broke again, close to the deck. While 
in this situation, I had the mortification to see the ship pass 
us, within pistol-shot, without being able to pursue her. I be- 
lieve she was an English packet, which was just out of Lisbon, 
and bound for England ; and, I doubt not, if this unfortunate 
accident had not occurred, we should have captured her in 
less than one hour from the time she was first seen. At this 



86 YOYAGE IN THE SCHOONEE LEO. 

time the packets transported large quantities of specie to Eng- 
land, and this ship would, in all probability, have proved a 
rich prize to us. I have no doubt the mast was defective, 
and that it should have been renewed before leaving port. 
From this untoward circumstance, resulted all the misfortunes 
attending the cruise. 

I cannot express the disappointment and mortification I 
now felt, not so much on my own account, as for the loss in- 
curred by the gentlemen who planned and fitted out the expedi- 
tion. The Rock of Lisbon bore E. S. E., 80 miles distant, and 
my only hope was to get into Lisbon or St, Ubes before day- 
light the next morning, and thus escape capture. I ac- 
cordingly cleared away the wreck, rigged a jury foremast, and 
bore away. At 4 p. m., an hour after the accident occurred, 
we were going at the rate of seven knots an hour, and had the 
breeze continued through the night, should have got into port 
by daylight next morning. But, unfortunately, the wind be- 
came light during the night, and we made little progress. 
At 5 A. M., daylight, made Cape Espartel and the Rock of 
Lisbon, when it became almost calm. We then commenced 
sweeping and towing, with two boats ahead, until 1 p. m., 
when a light air sprung up from the westward, and I had 
strong hopes of being able to get in, or run the vessel on shore 
and destroy her, and thus escape capture. 

At 2 p. M., being about four miles from the land, I received 
a Lisbon pilot on board. The ebb-tide now commenced run- 
ning out of the Tagus, and I had the mortification to see a 
British frigate coming out with the first of it, Avith a light breeze 
from off the land. At 2 p. ]nj. I was under her guns. She 
proved to be the Granicus, a thirty-eight gun frigate, Captain 
W. F. Wise. We were all removed to the frigate, and the 
schooner taken in tow for Gibraltar. 

Two days after our capture, viz. on the ,3d of December, 
we arrived at Gibraltar. Nearly all my officers and my men 
were distributed and sent to England in different ships ; the 
first and second lieutenants, with myself, were retained on 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER LEO. 87 

board the Granicus to undergo an examination at the admi- 
rahy court. 

The next day after our arrival the frigate left port for 
Tetuan Bay, Morocco, opposite Gibraltar, to obtain water and 
to be painted. We were taken on this little voyage, and had 
I not been a prisoner, I should have enjoyed very much the 
novelty of the excursion, which occupied three or four days. 
Captain Wise was a fine, gentlemanly man, and always treat- 
ed me and my officers with respect and kindness. We messed 
in the ward-room, and I had a state-room to myself, and was as 
comfortable and happy as I could be under the circumstances. 

I used to dine with Capt. W. almost daily ; he frequently 
said to me, " Don't feel depressed by captivity, but strive to 
forget that you are a prisoner, and imagine that you are only a 
passenger," He also invited my first lieutenant, Mr. Depeyster, 
occasionally to dine with him, and said he would endeavor to 
get us paroled, and thus prevent our being sent to England. 
We stated to him, that we had voluntarily released more than 
thirty British prisoners notwithstanding the American govern- 
ment gave a bounty (to letters-of-marque and privateers) of one 
hundred dollars per head for British prisoners brought into the 
United States. These facts. Captain Wise represented to the 
governor, and also added, that the five English prisoners, found 
on board the Leo, said they had been very kindly treated, and 
he hoped his excellency would release me and my two lieu- 
tenants upon our parole, and let us return direct to the United 
States. The governor refused to comply with the kind request 
of Capt. Wise, and said he had positive orders from the British 
government to send every American prisoner, brought to that 
port, to England. When Capt. Wise informed us that he was 
unable to obtain our liberty on parole, he gave me a letter of 
introduction to a friend in England, requesting him to use his 
best interest to get myself and my first and second lieutenants 
released on parole, and thus enable us to return forthwith, to the 
United States. Mr. Daly, an Irish gentleman, second lieu- 
tenant of the Granicus, who was connected with several per- 



88 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER LEO. 

sons of distirfction in England, also gave me a letter to a noble 
lady of great influence at court. I regret I do not recollect 
her name, but I well remember the emphatic expression of the 
kind-hearted and generous Daly when he handed me the letter 
to his noble friend. " Cause this letter to be presented," said 
he, " and rely upon it this lady will never allow you or your 
two friends to be sent to prison in England." Mr. Depeyster 
was a high-spirited man, and when he learned that we could 
not obtain our liberty on parole, he became extremely vexed 
and excited, and told the ward-room oflicers that if it should 
ever please God to place him in a letter-of-marque or privateer, 
during the war, he would never again release an English pri- 
soner, but would have a place built in the vessel to confine 
them until he should arrive in the United States ; that the boun- 
ty of one hundred dollars given by the United States govern- 
ment rendered it an object to carry them into port, but from 
motives of humanity we had released many of their country- 
men ; and now they refused to parole three unfortunate men 
who were in their power. I said but little on the subject, but 
from that moment resolved to make my escape upon the first 
opportunity. 

The next day after this conversation (December 8th), Capt. 
Wise said, " Capt. Coggeshall, it is necessary that you and 
your officers should go on shore to the admiralty office, there 
to be examined with respect to the condemnation of your 
schooner, your late cruise, &c., and if you Avill pledge me your 
word and honor that you and yoirr officers will not attempt to 
make your escape, I will permit you and the other two gentle- 
men to go on shore without a guard." I told him at once that 
I would give the pledge not to attempt in any way to make 
my escape, and would also be answerable for Mr. Depeyster 
and Mr. Allen. This ready compliance on my part resulted 
from a desire to gain an opportunity to recormoitre the garrison, 
or in seamen's phrase, " to see how the land lay," in order to 
profit by the first chance to make my escape when not on 
parole. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER LEO. 89 

We accordingly went on shore without a guard, and Avere 
conducted to the admiralty office. I was first examined, and 
was asked a great many questions, the greater part of which 
were from a printed copy : the answers were written down 
opposite the questions. It seemed to me to be more a matter 
of form, than for any special purpose. By the by, many of the 
inquiries appeared to me very unmeaning and unimportant. 
When they had finished with me, they commenced with Mr. 
Depeyster ; • and after asking him a few questions, the court of 
inquiry was adjourned until the next morning at 10 o'clock ; 
and notifying us to be there precisely at the time appointed, we 
were dismissed. We then took a stroll about the town for an 
hour or two, returned on board, and reported -ourselves to Capt. 
Wise. 

Thus far, not a shadow of suspicion had been visible on the 
countenances of Capt. Wise, or his officers, that either of us 
would attempt to make our escape. In the evening, I consult- 
ed with Messrs. Depeyster and Allen on the subject of giving 
them the dodge upon the very first opportunity. I told them 
that if the captain required my parole the next morning I would 
not give it, neither would I advise them to pledge their word 
and honor that they would not make their escape. I told 
them, furthermore, that I was resolved to slip away the first 
moment I saw a favorable opportunity, and would advise them 
to do the like, and not, from any motives of delicacy, to wait 
a moment for me. 

The next morning, when dressing, I put all the money I 
had, say about one hundred twenty-franc gold pieces, in 
a belt that was around my person, and some fifteen or twenty 
Spanish dollars in my pocket, with some little relics and trifling 
keepsakes. Thus prepared, I went to breakfast in the ward- 
room. About 9 o'clock Capt. Wise sent for me, when the fol- 
lowing dialogue ensued : " Well, Coggeshall, I understand 
you and your officers are required at the admiralty office at 10 
o'clock, and if you will again pledge your honor, as you did 
yesterday, that you will neither of you attempt ta make your 



90 YOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER LEO. 

escape, you may go on shore without a guard, otherwise I 
shall be obliged to send one with you." I watched his coun- 
tenance closely, for a moment, to ascertain his real meaning, 
and whether he was determined to adhere strictly to the words 
he had just uttered, and then replied, " Capt. Wise, I am sur- 
prised that you should think it possible for any one to make 
his escape from Gibraltar." He instantly saw I was sounding 
him, when he pleasantly but firmly said, " Come, come, it 
won't do, you must either pledge your word and honor that 
neither you nor your officers will attempt to make your escape, 
or I shall be compelled to send a guard with you," I felt a 
little touched, and promptly replied, " You had better send a 
guard, sir." Accordingly, he ordered the third lieutenant to 
take a sergeant and four marmes with him and conduct us to 
the admiralty office. 

At the hour appointed they recommenced the examination 
where they had left off the day before with Mr. Depeyster. I 
was sitting in the court-room, and Mr. Allen standing at the 
door, when he beckoned to me. I instantly went to the door, 
and found the lieutenant had left his post, and was not in sight. 
I then asked the sergeant whether he would go with us a short 
distance up the street to take a glass of wine. He readily 
complied with my request, leaving the marines at the door to 
watch Mr. Depeyster, and walked respectfully, at a few paces 
behind us, up the street. (I had been once before at Gibraltar, 
and understood the town perfectly well.) We soon came to a 
wine shop on a corner with a door opening on each street. W bile 
the soldier was standing at the door, Mr. A. and myself entered 
and called for a glass of wine. I drank a glass in haste, but un- 
fortunately had no small change, and this circumstance alone 
prevented my worthy friend from going with me. I hastily told 
him I would cross the little square in front, turn the first corner 
and there wait for him to join me. I then slipped out of the 
shop, passed quickly over the little park, and turned the corner 
agreed upon, without being seen by the sergeant, while he was 
watching at the opposite door. I waited some minutes on the 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONEE LEO. 91 

corner for Mr. Allen, and was sadly disappointed that he did 
not make his appearance. I had now fairly committed myself, 
and found I had not a moment to spare. I therefore walked 
with a quick step towards the Land Port Gate, not that leading 
to the Peninsula, but the gate situated at theN. W. extremity 
of the town. 

My dress was a blue coat, black stock, and black cockade 
with an eagle in the centre. The eagle I took care to remove, 
and tlien it was tout-d-fait an English cockade, and I had in 
the whole very much the appearance of an English naval 
officer. I said to myself when approaching the guard at the 
gate, "Now is the critical moment, and the most perfect compo- 
sure and consummate impudence are necessary to a successful 
result." I gave a stern look at the sentinel, when he returned 
me a respectful salute, and I was in another moment without 
the walls of Gibraltar. 

I walked deliberately down the mole, or quay, where I was 
accosted by a great number of watermen offering to convey me 
on board my vessel. I employed one, and after getting off in 
tli£ bay, he said, " Captain, which is your vessel ?" Here again 
I was at a loss to decide on an answer, but after gazing for a 
few moments on the different ships and the flags of different 
nations, my eye caught sight of a galiot with a Norwegian 
ensign flying, and I said to myself, " The Norwegians are a 
virtuous, honest people, and I am not afraid to trust them." I 
had been in their country, and understood the character of these 
hardy, honest-hearted sons of the North. After a moment's hesi- 
tation, I replied to the boatman, " That is my vessel," pointing to 
the friendly galiot, and we were soon along-side. I jumped 
on board, and inquired for the captain, who soon made his ap- 
pearance. I told him I had something to communicate to him. 
He told me to follow him into the cabin. I immediately asked 
him whether he was willing to befriend a man in distress. 
He said, " Tell me your story, and I will try to serve you.'' 
I frankly told him I was the captain of the American letter- 
of-marque schooner lately sent into port by the frjgate Grani- 



92 VOYAGE IIT THE SCHOONER LEO. 

cus, and that I had made my escape from the garrison, and 
desired to get over to Algeciras as soon as possible ; that I had 
money enough, but still I wanted his friendship, confidence 
and protection. The good old gentleman had scarcely waited 
to hear my story to the end, before he grasped me by the hand 
and said, in a kind and feeling manner, " I will be your friend, 
I will protect you ; I was once a prisoner in England, and I 
know what it is to be a prisoner ; rest assured, my dear sir, I 
will do all I can to assist you." I offered him a dollar to pay 
and discharge the boatman, and remained myself below in the 
cabin. He said, " Put up your money, I have small change, 
and will pay him what is just and right." After dispatching 
the boatman, he returned below, and said, " Now take off your 
coat, and put on this large pea-jacket and fur cap." In this cos- 
tume, and with a large, pipe in my mouth, I was, in less than 
two minutes, transformed into a regular Norwegian. Returning 
again on deck, I asked my good friend the captain whether I 
could rely on his mate and sailors not to betray me ; he said, 
" They are honest and perfectly trustworthy, and you need be 
under no apprehension on their account." We took a soqial 
dinner together, when he observed, " I will now go on shore for 
an hour or two, and hear all I can about your escape, and Avill 
come back early in the evening and relate to you all I learn." 
In the evening the old captain returned, pleased and delighted. 
He said he never saw such a hubbub as there was about town ; 
that the whole garrison seemed to be on the look-out, that the 
Town Major, with the military and civil police, were searching 
every hole in Gibraltar for the captain of the American priva- 
teer ; that both of my officers were put in confinement, and 
that the lieutenant of the frigate who had the charge of us 
had been arrested ; in short, there was " the devil to pay," 
because the captain of the privateer could not be found. 

The next morning I stated to my worthy friend how ex- 
tremely anxious I was to go over to Algeciras, and how morti- 
fied I should be to be taken again on board the Granicus. He 
answered, "Leave that to me : I am well acquainted with a 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER LEO. 93' 

gang of smugglers who belong to Algeciras, and often sell 
them gin, tobacco, and other articles of trade ; they will be 
here on board my galiot at 9 o'clock this evening, and will 
probably start for Algeciras about midnight, after they have 
made all their purchases ; when they come I will arrange with 
them to take you as a passenger." 

About 9 o clock that evening a long, fast-rowing boat came 
silently along-side, filled with men ; and certainly a more des- 
perate, villanous-looking set was never seen. Their leader and 
several of his men came on board the galiot, and after having 
purchased several articles and taken a glass of gin all around, 
the old captain inquired of the patroon of the boat what hour 
he intended to start for Algeciras, and said, that the reason of 
his asking the question was that his brother wanted to go to 
that place for a few days upon business, and he wished to en- 
gage a passage for him, and that he should be glad if his 
brother could lodge for a few days with his family. He an- 
swered that he should return again about midnight, and would 
willingly take the captain's brother, and that if he could put 
up with rough fare, he was welcome to stay at his house as 
long as he pleased. I accordingly got ready my little bundle, 
which consisted of a few small articles, such as a shirt or two, 
(for 1 did not forget to wear three at the time I left the Grani- 
ciis,) and stowed it away in my hat. I agreed with my friend 
the Norwegian, to leave the cap and pea-jacket with tlie 
American Consul at Algeciras, to be returned to him by some 
safe conveyance in the course of a few days. Agreeable to 
promise the boat came on board precisely at 12 o'clock, and 
after my friend the captain had again cautioned the patroon of 
the boat to take good care of his brother, we started. 

The water in the bay was smooth, though the night was 
dark and favorable to the safe prosecution of the passage. 
The distance is about eight or ten miles from Gibraltar ; and 
after rowing two hours, we arrived near the harbor, when we 
showed a light in a lantern for a minute or two, and then cov. 
ered it with a jacket. This signal was repeated 'two or three 



94 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONEK LEO. 

times, until it was answered in the same way from the shore. 
We approached the port cautiously, and landed in silence. The 
patroon took me by the arm, and led me through many a dark 
winding passage. On our way we passed by several sentinels^ 
and were frequently hailed with the shrill sound of " Q,uien 
Yiva?" To these salutations some friendly answer was re- 
turned, and thus every thing passed smoothly on, until at 
length we arrived at the humble dwelling of the smuggler. 

In Spain, the contrabandists are a desperate class of men, 
and often spread dread and fear through a wide region of coun- 
try. In many instances they are so numerous and strong that 
they- often put the whole power of the government at defiance. 
The gang that brought me to Algeciras were about twenty in 
number, all armed to the teeth with long knives, pistols, swords, 
&c., and had no doubt made their arrangements during the 
day with the officers and sentinels who were to mount guard 
that night. Of course they made them a compensation in 
some way or other, in order that they should meet with noth- 
ing to interfere with or obstruct their nocturnal enterprises. 

Early in life I had made several voyages to Spain and its 
colonies in America, and had acquired a pretty good know- 
ledge of the Spanish character. I had also picked up enough 
of the language to enable me to make my way among them 
without difficulty. 

There is a something about the Spaniard that immediately 
inspires confidence ; so much so, that, although surrounded by 
this desperate gang of smugglers, I had not the smallest fear 
for my safety. It was now near 3 o'clock in the morning 
when we entered the small low cabin of the patroon. The 
interior consisted of one room of moderate size, with a mat 
hung up to serve as a partition to separate the different mem- 
bers of the family, which consisted of the patroon Antonio, 
hi^s wife, and two children. The eldest, a girl, was about eight 
or nine years of age, and the boy a fine little fellow about six. 
Antonio was thirty-five or forty years old, and his wife a good- 
looking woman twenty-eight or thirty. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER LEO. 95 

With this family I was soon placed upon the most friendly 
and intimate footing. A straw bed was prepared for me be- 
hind the mat screen. Before saying good-night, Antonio told 
me he should leave the house very early in the morning to 
look after his boat and smuggled goods, and should not return 
until noon next day. He said his wife and little daughter 
would provide breakfast for me, and would purchase whatever 
I wished at any time. After these preliminaries were settled 
we all said, " Buenas noches," and dropped asleep. 

About 7 o'clock the next morning I furnished the smug- 
gler's wife with money to purchase bread, butter, eggs, and 
coffee ; and when breakfast was prepared, the mother, the two 
children, and myself, ate our social meal together. 1 then 
took a stroll about the town of Algeciras in my Norwegian 
costume, and silently observed what was going on, without 
conversing with any person ; when I entered a coffee-house I 
generally took a newspaper, and as I said nothing, no one ap- 
peared to notice me. I had broken the quarantine laws, and 
therefore deemed it prudent to keep on my disguise for a few 
days, and continue to live in perfect seclusion. The next night 
Antonio was to leave this place for Gibraltar, and by him I sent 
the following letter to my friend the good Norwegian. 

Algeciras, Dec. 13fh, 1814. 
Captain of the Galiot : 

My Dear Good Friend : — I am happy to inform you 
that I landed here last night, or rather at 2 o'clock in the 
morning, and have taken up my abode in the family of our 
friend, the patroon Antonio, and now consider myself in per- 
fect safety; — all which I owe to your kind and generous con- 
duct. While I live my heart will ever beat with gratitude to 
you, my excellent friend, and if it should never be in my power 
to reward your disinterested kindness, I sincerely pray that 
God will reward and bless you and yours to the third and 
fourth generations. Although I live in an obscure cabin, and 
am here a stranger in a strange land, still I am more happy 



96 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER LEO, 

than I coLild possibly be in a palace, deprived of my li]p- 
erty. 

1 shall remain here a few days in disguise, and shall be 
happy to receive a letter from you per Antonio. I am extreme- 
ly anxious to hear what has become of my officers, and whe- 
ther they have been sent prisoners to England. You said it 
was possible you might come over to Algeciras. I hope you 
will conclude to do so, and then I shall have the happiness to 
enjoy your society while you remain in this place. 

Adieu, my dear Sir, and believe me always with esteem, 
Your grateful friend, 

GEORGE COGGESHALL. 

Antonio was absent almost all the time during the three 
days I remained in his family. I furnished money, and the 
good Maria purchased and prepared our frugal meals. When 
I returned from a stroll about the town, I always took care to 
provide cakes and bonbons for the children ; so we soon became 
very good friends, and all lived very happily together, and upon 
terms of the most perfect equality. 

After remaining here for a period of three days, I began to 
tire of this mode of life, and was determined to ascertain how 
I could get to Cadiz, where I knew I should find friends, and 
be farthei- removed from the mortifying scenes through which 
I had so lately passed. Accordingly, on the morning of the 
fourth day of my landing at Algeciras, I repaired to a cafe, and 
inquired of one of the servants whether there was an Ameri- 
can Consul residing in the city. The boy seemed intelligent, 
and instantly replied that Don Horatio Sprague, the former 
Consul at Gibraltar, was residing here, and that he was, '• un 
h ombre de bien." I asked for his address, when he called a 
boy to show me the house ; so that in fifteen minutes after, I 
was knocking at Mr. Sprague's door, and was soon admitted 
into his hospitable mansion. 

He was of course surprised to see a man of my appearance 
walk boldly into his parlor. I soon, however, explained that 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER LEO. 97 

I was not exactly what I appeared to be : that I was an Ameri- 
can in distress, and throwing off my great fu» cap and pea- 
jacket, looked somewhat more like an American. I told my 
story, and was received and treated like a brother. He was 
just going to take breakfast, and said, "Yon will breakfast 
with us, and then I will send my nephew Mr. Leach witli you 
for your bundle, and you will then return and take up your 
abode with me during your stay at Algeciras." 

After asocial breakfast, having doffed my cap and pea-jacket, 
and being supplied with a hat and other articles of dress to 
correspond, Mr. Leach kindly accompanied me to the humble 
dwelling of Maria. To my great surprise, on entering the 
cabin, the poor woman was very distant, curtesying with pro- 
found respect, and appeared altogether like another person. 
The children were shy and appeared to avoid me : at first I 
felt hurt at the alteration, but a moment's reflection convinced 
me that it was quite natural, and I loved them not the less for 
their distant behavior : while in my disguise they looked 
upon me as one of the family ; but now the circumstances were 
changed, they regarded me in quite another light ; and I felt 
for a moment that the artificial rules of society were chilling 
to a generous heart. Maria told Mr. Leach that she always 
thought I was a gentleman, and that she was quite happy to 
serve me. 

After making the family suitable presents, I took my leave, 
promising that they should frequently see me while I remained 
in Algeciras, which promise I took care rigidly to fulfil. 

I was now quite at home with one of the best of men, whose 
greatest pleasure has ever been to make others happy. His 
excellent nephew, William Leach, Esq., was also a fine young 
gentleman, and as we were all Americans together, the most 
perfect confidence reigned throughout this delightful family. 
During my stay here, I was amused with a little incident that 
occurred while at dinner at Mr. Sprague's table. A young 
English friend came over on Sunday to dine with Mr. S. 
During dinner Mr. Sprague asked the young man what was 
7 



98 VOYAGE m THE SCHOONER LEO. 

said in Gibraltar about the captain of the American letter-of- 
marque having made his escape from the garrison. He said 
that it caused a great deal of excitement and speculation ; 
some said the lieutenant that had charge of him was very cul- 
pable, and even insinuated that there must have been bribery 
connected with the business ; that it was altogether a very 
strange affair, that a man should be able in open daylight to 
make his escape from Gibraltar. After answering many other 
questions on the subject, he wound up by saying that the cap- 
tain must be a clerer man, and for his part he wished him God- 
speed. 

The young man had no suspicion that I was an American or 
had any connection with the business. During the conver- 
sation, whenever I caught the eye of Mr. Leach, it was with 
the greatest difficulty I could command my countenance. 
Every thing, however, passed off very well, and we often joked 
on the subject of the honest simplicity of their young English 
friend. 

I remained from day to day at Algeciras, anxiously waiting 
to hear from my two lieutenants, Messrs. Depeyster and Allen; 
in hopes they would by some means be able to make their 
escape and not be sent prisoners to England. During the day- 
time I used frequently to ride in the country with Mr. Sprague. 
In the evening we often made up an agreeable whist party, 
and, among other social enjoyments, my young friend Leach 
introduced me to two or three respectable and very agreeable 
Spanish families. In these families, I spent many pleasant 
evenings, and had my officers and crew been at liberty, I should 
have been quite contented and happy. 

At length, after waiting at Algeciras about ten days, I learned 
with pain and sincere regret that all my officers and men had 
been sent as prisoners to England, and I now began seriously 
to think of leaving this place for Cadiz. There are only two 
ways of travelhng with safety in Spain : one is genteel and 
expensive, viz., with a strong guard of soldiers ; the other is 
in simple disguise, so that no robber can feel any interest 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER LEO. 99 

• 

ill molesting you on the road. This mode I determined to 
adopt. 

Algeciras lies in lat. 36° 7' North, long. 5° 24' West, 
on the west side of Gibraltar Bay, and distant from that place 
by water about eight miles ; whilst to go round the bay by 
land is about double the distance, say seventeen or eighteen 
miles. It contains a population of about 4,500 to 5000 souls, 
has a good harbor and considerable traffic. It is a very old 
city, and in ancient times was strongly fortified. 

Mr, Sprague is a native of Massachusetts, and has long 
been the American Consul at Gibraltar. He is extensively 
known and universally beloved and respected. His house has 
been for many years the seat of a generous hospitality. Al- 
though he has resided so long abroad, he has not lost a particle 
of American feeling or the ardor of a true patriot. His nephew, 
Mr. WilUam Leach, is alsoa worthy gentlemanly man, of supe- 
rior abilities, and will ever be remembered by me with deep 
gratitude. 

After remaining in Algeciras about a fortnight, I hired a 
mule and a guide to proceed with me to Cadiz. My kind 
friends furnished me with provisions and stores for a journey 
of two days. I procured a dress such as the peasants wear in 
this part of Andalusia, and thus prepared, on the morning of 
the 26th of December, 1814, I bade adieu to my two excellent 
countrymen from whom I had received so many disinterested 
favors. 

After leaving the town we travelled about a league on a 
tolcKibly smooth road, and then turned off into a winding foot- 
path. I was on the mule, and my guide, a merry fellow, trudged 
along on foot, sometimes by my side, sometimes a few yards 
ahead, and when we came to a smooth path I allowed him to 
ride on the beast behind me. The distance from Algeciras to 
Cadiz is about forty miles, and it was our intention to go to 
Medina and put up for the night. I soon found we had a very 
intricate and difficult journey to perform. The whole country 
presented a most wild and desolate appearance ; in fact it seemed 



100 VOYAGE m THE SCHOONER LEO. 

« 

to me that there could have been Httle or no change in this 
part of Spain, for the last five or six centuries. There were no 
pubHc roads, a very thin and scattered population that lived 
in a wretched state of poverty. 

Sometimes we travelled through deep and dark ravines 
overgrown with trees and bushes : and after passing a deep 
and gloomy dell, where we lost sight of the sun at times for a 
space of half an hour, we would then commence ascending a 
high mountain. We generally found a time-worn footpath 
running in a zigzag direction up these dreary mountains. This 
mode of ascending would, in seaman's phrase, be called beat- 
ing up. 

The progress certainly is slow and fatiguing, but the 
traveller is richly rewarded for all his toil, when once on the 
top of one of these stupendous mountains. Here he has a 
splendid view of the Strait of Gibraltar and the broad Atlantic 
on the south and east, while the wild and unbroken scenery 
of the sur;-aunding country is truly magnificent. 

We continued to travel on in this manner until about 2 
o'clock in the afternoon, when we came to a miserable Posada. 
Here we stopped to feed the mule and rest and refresh ourselves 
for an hour, and found to my great surprise we had only made 
about ten miles from Algeciras, and were still about the same 
distance from Medina. 

The people of the United States can scarcely believe that 
an old country like Spain is in such a wretched con- 
dition a'S I fomid this part of it ; without roads, the land 
generally uncultivated, without hotels or taverns to accommo- 
date strangers, and infested with robbers and banditti ; even 
in the vicinity of cities and large towns, there is no safety in 
travelling without a military guard. This is certainly a 
gloomy picture of poor Spain, once so great and powerful, now 
distracted by factions and civil war^ divested of the greatest 
part of her once rich colonies, her government weak, without 
money and without credit. 

There are many causes for this sad downfall, but the 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER LEO. 101 

principal are, ignorance idleness, superstition, priestcraft, and 
bad government. 

Oh, happy America ! how glorious art thou among the 
nations of the earth ! Long may an all-wise Being shower his 
blessings upon thee, and keep thee from the wiles of super- 
stition and popery ! 

My guide Manuel said the mule was ready, and he only 
waited my pleasure to proceed. I said " Adios Senor " to our 
ignorant Posadero, and we were again wending our intricate 
way towards Medina, It is impossible for me to describe the 
windings and turnings, the up hill and down course of these 
villanous passage-ways I will not call them roads, for they 
deserve not the name. 

At length we caught sight of the desired city where we 
were to remain during the approaching night. On beholding 
Medina I was forcibly struck with the beautiful simile of the 
Saviour's, that " a city set on a hill cannot be hid." This is 
literally true with respect to Medina ; it stands on a high hill, 
its walls, churches and houses are all plastered and wh.tened, 
and it may be seen at a great distance in every direction. 
For about a league before we reached this elevated city we 
came into a more pleasant country ; we now and then met with 
patches of cultivated and pasture land, and saw also occasion- 
ally a small Hacienda, with running brooks and marks of civ- 
ilization. In the immediate neighborhood of the town, I 
frequently saw small stone bridges, which appeared extremely 
ancient ; they were evidently not built in modern days, but 
were probably erected either by the Romans or Moors, in the 
olden times, when Spain was subdued by these ancient and 
once powerful nations. For some distance around the foot of 
the liill or mountain on which Medina is located, the grounds 
are pleasantly diversified with olive fields, orange gardens 
and green meadows, on which herds of cattle were grazing. 
When we passed through these rural scenes, the weather was 
soft and fine, and here we inhaled the light and exhilarating 
air from the orange groves. What a delightful (Country ! God 



102 VOYAGE m THE SCHOONEE LEO. 

has done every thing for this people, but they have done nothing' 
for themselves. How lovely is nature when softened and 
cultivated by the hand of industry, and how happy is man 
when governed by just and righteous principles, and for the 
benefit of himself and his fellow-man ! 

Fortunately we arrived at the singular city just before sun- 
down, which enabled me to enjoy a beautiful view from its 
high walls, while the sun was gilding with its setting rays 
the towers of the churches and the clouds and mountains 
beyond them. It certainly was not so grand and sublime as 
that which I saw in the morning from the top of the lofty 
mountains, but it was truly delightful to behold the peaceful 
scenery of pastoral life, contrasted with the wild and savage 
ravines in the background of the picture. Who can behold 
such scenes as these and not became a better man, while thus 
looking through nature up to nature's God ? " How wonder- 
ful are thy works, O God in wisdom hast Thou made them 
all." 

My guide led me to a miserable Posada to put up for the 
night. When I asked for a room I was shown into a dark, 
gloomy, prison-like place about ten feet square, Avith a stone 
floor and but one chair, without a^ bed or a table, and all I 
could get from the Posadero was a few boiled eggs, with some 
sour wine. Fortunately my kind friends in Algeciras had pro- 
vided stores for myself and guide, so that with the eggs and 
wine we made a tolerable supper. Being fatigued with the 
day's ride, I asked for a bed, when a coarse one of straw was 
brought and spread upon the stone floor, without either blan- 
ket, sheet, or pillow. I threw myself upon this bed, and, with 
my cloak for a covering, was soon asleep, and scarcely awoke 
until roused at daylight by my guide to resume our journej^ 

Whether Manuel took me to this miserable stopping-place 
from motives of policy to avoid suspicion and observation, I 
know not. It is, however, more than probable that there are 
better lodging-houses for those better acquainted with the 
town. I had entire confidence in my guide, he being recom- 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOOlSrER LEO. 103 

mended by my kind friends Messrs. Sprague and Leach, and 
was therefore satisfied. After settling our bill, we were soon 
on the road descending from the lofty city. I regret I had 
not an opportunity of seeing more of the town, but as we had 
now made but half the journey, and Cadiz was still twenty-two 
miles distant, it was absolutely necessary to hasten our de- 
parture. I saw it was a walled town, and was told it contain- 
ed about eight or ten thousand inhabitants ; with a fort, or 
castle, two or three churches, five or six monasteries and two 
hospitals, and that there were several manufactories of earth- 
enware which was principally sold in Cadiz and Seville. 

Alfter leaving Medina we found the country less moun- 
tainous and the roads tolerably good. We passed through, 
several small towns and villages, and as we drew near to 
Cadiz, were able to purchase the ordinary necessaries of life. 
Notwithstanding we had only a journey of twenty-two miles 
from Medina, we did not arrive in Cadiz until 5 o'clock in 
the afternoon, on the 28th of December, 1814. Here I put up 
at one of the principal hotels for the night. The next morn- 
ing I settled with and dispatched my guide ; we parted mutu- 
ally satisfied. I then sallied out in pursuit of my own country- 
men, and soon had the good fortune to meet with an old 
friend, James Haggarty, Esq., a native of Richmond, Virginia. 
I innnediately took lodgings with that gentleman in a private 
family, which consisted of a widow lady and her four 
daughters. Seiiora Q.uartini was a native of Cadiz, and a 
kind, excellent woman. The daughters were very amiable 
and obliging, and fiom their frequent intercourse Avith 
American gentlemen, two of them had acquired a pretty good 
knowledge of the English language. These benevolent peo- 
ple were full of sympathy and kindness. They were truly 
pious without ostentation, and although Roman Catholics, 
were free from bigotry. Their goodness of heart and simple 
manners made even strangers feel perfectly at home, and I 
regarded myself as fortunate in becoming an inmate of this 
delightful' family. 



104 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONEE LEO. 

My friend H. introduced me to our Consul, Joseph E. Bloom- 
field, Esq. and also to Richard W. Mead, Esq., and his amiable 
family. Mr. Mead was from Philadelphia, and a resident mer- 
chant here at this time. During my stay I experienced much 
hospitality both from our worthy Consul and Mr. Mead. The 
latter gentleman politely gave me a free ticket to his box in 
the theatre, and rendered me many little civilities which are 
always gratifying to a stranger. My friend Haggarty was al- 
ways ready to negotiate my drafts on Bordeaux or London, so 
that as far as personal comfort was concerned I had nothing to 
complain of A few days after my arrival here, I received a 
letter from my friend William Leach, Esq., informing me that 
the good old Norwegian, soon after I left Algeciras, came over 
from Gibraltar to see me, and that he had been unable to learn 
the fate of my officers. The letter also brought me glad tid- 
ings of the victory of General Brown over the Biitish, at Fort 
Erie, and of the prospect of an early treaty of peace being 
agreed upon by the ambassadors of the two nations at Ghent. 

On the first of January, 1815, I wrote to my first lieuten- 
ant, informing him of my movements since we parted at 
Gibraltar, and inclosed to him a supply of money and the let- 
ters of introduction so kindly given to me by Captain Wise, 
and Lieutenant Daly, hoping that they might be of use to him 
and the other officers if they were sent to England. 

The Spaniards are a peculiar people, and their character 
can only be learned by a long residence in their country. An 
intelligent Spaniard prides himself more on what his country 
has been than on what it is at present. He mourns over its 
fallen greatness, and shrugs his shoulders with a sigh. 

The higher classes are extremely romantic, both in love 
and friendship, and they consider their word fully equal to a 
sealed bond. This high sense of honor sometimes descends 
even to the highway robber ; for example, I once knew a gen- 
tleman who was robbed of $400 (all the money he had with 
him) on the highway from Seville to Cadiz. He observed 
that his was a hard case, that he had not sufficient means to 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER LEO. 105 

defray his expenses back to Cadiz. The robber observed, 
"Amigo meo, how much will be sufficient to pay expenses 
on the road?" The gentleman replied, "I think about fifteen 
or twenty dollars." The robber handed him twenty dollars, 
with a pompous air, and drawing himself up to his full heiglit, 
said, " Take it, and don't say on your return to Cadiz, that 
you met with a robber, who was incapable of a generous ac- 
tion." The ladies also partake of the same characteristic traits; 
they are very efieminate and interesting, with soft and pleas- 
ing manners, and though so gentle and fascinating, are, when 
roused, perfect heroines in courageous action. At the time of 
which 1 am writing there was a large circus or amphitheatre 
in the vicinity of Cadiz, spacious enough to accommodate 
10,000 people. I have seen the edifice filled to overflowing 
with all classes of the community, from the Governor and the 
public authorities of the town with their families, down to the 
common boatman and laborer ; collected together to see three 
or four men, on foot and on horseback, fight and kill eight or 
ten wild bulls. When a bull has shown uncommon fury, and 
a corresponding degree of coolness and courage was displayed 
on the part of the matadors, I have seen this vast assemblage 
thrown into perfect ecstasies, and the fine ladies in the boxes 
wave their white handkerchiefs with enthusiastic cries of 
" Viva, Viva," and throw down garlands of flowers to the ma- 
tadors in the arena. 

After relating these apparent contradictions in the Spanish 
character, 1 think it will readily be conceded that it requires a 
long residence among them fully to understand their peculiari- 
ties. 1 have been for many years in communication with 
Spain and her colonies, and have arrived at the conclusion 
that there is less medium in the Spanish character, than among 
other nations, and that there the best and the worst people in 
the world are to be found. 

1 was living here perfectly at leisure, and what with the 
social intercourse of the friendly family with whom I lodged, 
the theatre and other public amusements, I found the time 
passed away pleasantly and rapidly. 



106 VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONER LEO. 

On the 14th, of January, I received a warm-hearted letter 
from my kmd and ever obhging friend Horatio Sprague, in 
which he mentioned that my escape had been the wonder of 
GibraUar, that an unremitted search was made for me during 
three days, both in the city and among the vessels in the bay, 
and that the noble old Norwegian was fairly infested with 
midshipmen and others searching after me. Although I was 
agreeably located in Cadiz, and found many kind friends from 
whom I had received much hospitality and friendly favors, 
still I was an idler, and began to tire of such an inactive, use- 
less life, and as there was no prospect of obtaining a passage 
home from this place, I decided to take passage in a small 
Portuguese schooner for Lisbon. This was a coasting vessel 
manned with a captain, mate and ten men, just double the 
number of men that would be employed to navigate an Ameri- 
can vessel of the same size. In this schooner I agreed for a 
berth in the cabin, and was to furnish my own stores, with 
the proviso, that the cook should likewise do all the cooking I 
might require. With this understanding I purchased a few 
hams, a bag of bread, a demijohn of wine, tea, sugai", coffee, 
and other stores sufficient for fifteen days. 

The schooner being ready, I bade adieu to all my friends 
m Cadiz on the 15th of February, 1815, having been there just 
forty-nine days. I sailed out of the bay with a heavy heart 
at parting with so many who were true and faithful. I had a 
few choice books with me to read on the passage, and had be- 
come so much accustomed to all kinds of life, that I felt I 
should be able to accommodate myself to almost any condi- 
tion. I soon found that the captain was a good disciplinarian 
and managed his vessel very well. Although he had never 
made a foreign voyage, he knew the coast and understood his 
business, and I felt myself fortunate in having fallen into such 
good hands. 

This was the first time I had ever sailed under the 
Portuguese flag, and many of their customs were quite new 
to me. One peculiarity I observed that I never witnessed 
before. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONEK LEO. 107 

Three times a day the captain summoned every body on 
board to the quarter deck ; then they all knelt down, morning, 
noon, and evening, and repeated their prayers, the captain al- 
ways taking the lead. The schooner was a dull sailer, and as 
we had generally light winds we did not reach Cape St. Vincent 
until the fifth day after leaving Cadiz. This is a high, bold 
cape, lying in lat. 37° 3' North, long 9° 2' West. We pass- 
ed close to this conspicuous headland, I should think not more 
than half a mile distant, on the 20th of February, at 4 o'clock 
in the afternooii, when the captain called all hands to the 
quarter deck and addressed them as follows : " Officers and 
men, it has pleased God to bring us in safety thus far on our 
voyage ; now let us all kneel down and thank him for his 
goodness and mercy to us poor sinners, and beseech him to 
conduct us in safety to our destined port." They were, I 
should think, some fifteen or twenty minutes occupied in 
prayer, and then returned to their ordinary vocations. 

We crept slowly along shore, and on the 23d of February 
got safe into Lisbon, after a passage of eight days. I regret 
that I recollect neither the captain's name nor that of his vessel. 
I had made so many voyages to this place that upon landing 
I felt quite at home, and was soon in the society of many ot 
my own countrymen. I met in Lisbon a New- York friend, 
James L. Kennedy, Esq., who came out to that place super- 
cargo of an American vessel, and was, like myself, very desir- 
ous of returning to New- York. Mr. Kennedy, during his 
stay in Lisbon, became acquainted with a Portuguese house 
in the wine trade. These gentlemen owned a nice little brig 
of about one hundred and eighty tons burthen, called the 
" Tres Her7na?ios" They loaded her with a cargo of wine, 
oil, &c., and agreed with him to proceed in her to New- York as 
supercargo, with liberty to return again to Lisbon in the brig 
or remain in New- York, whichever should suit his interest. 
She was commanded by a very young man with but little ex- 
perience, and had a miserable set of Portuguese sailors. In 
this brig one of the owners ofiered me a passage free from any 



108 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER LEO. 

charge, upon condition that I would assist the young captain 
with my experience and advice. He had never been to the 
United States, and said he should be very happy to profit by 
my experience. My friend Kennedy was also very desirous 
that I should go, and said we should enjoy each other's society, 
and that would shorten the passage. I must confess I had 
some serious misgivings on the subject of sailing un^er the 
Portuguese flag with an inefficient captain and a filthy crew, 
but as there was no American vessel to sail for several weeks, 
and the treaty of peace with Great Britain was not ratified, I 
concluded to take passage in this neutral vessel. 

Before sailing, the principal owner told the captain to at- 
tend to the comfort of Mr. Kennedy and myself, and to treat 
us with respect, and consult me always on the most judicious 
course to steer, (fcc. &c. He promised to comply with the re- 
quest of the owner, and with much complacency said he had 
no doubt we should be very happy together. All these 
promises he most shamefully broke a few days after we got 
to sea. I remained in Lisbon just eighteen days, and, on the 
13th of March, 1815, sailed in the good brig " Tres Hermanos" 
for New- York. 

After getting to sea I was determined not to interfere with 
the course of the vessel, nov to proffer my advice unless it was 
called for, and then with the greatest delicacy, and never in 
the slightest degree made any remark to offend the mates or 
sailors during the long and tedious passage. The little, nar- 
row-minded captain did not consult me at all on the course of 
the vessel, and absolutely appeared so jealous of me that my 
position was almost insupportable, and had not my friend 
Kennedy been on board, and the brig bound to New- York, I 
should probably have been worse treated by these wretches. 
Although I scarcely exchanged a. word with one of his men 
during the passage, I once overheard them say they should 
like to knock me in the head and throw me overboard. In 
heu of steering a judicious course and keeping a fair distance 
to the northward of the Western Islands, the poor devil steer- 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER LEO. 109 

ed down among the Islands, where we were becahiied for 
several days and made miserable progress getting to the west- 
ward. The brig was in such a filthy condition that Mr. Ken- 
nedy and myself suffered out of measure with one of the 
plagues of Egypt. The probability is, that before leaving 
Lisbon the sailors were allowed to sleep in the berths in the 
cabin, and thus every part of the vessel was overrun with 
vermin. 

By contrary winds and bad management, our passage was 
prolonged to ,58 days. On the 9th of May we took a Sandy 
Hook pilot, and the same day arrived in New- York. I was 
rejoiced to land once more in the United States, after an absence 
of sixteen months and twenty-one days. 

I cannot leave this brig, without warning my friends and 
countrymen never to take passage across the Atlantic in a 
Portuguese vessel of any description. 

On my return home I found all my family and friends 
well. Peace was again restored to the United States. 

Seven and a half months after this date, 1 received a letter 
from Mr. Henry Allen, a worthy young man, who was second 
lieutenant with me in the Leo, from which I make the follow- 
ing extracts : — 

Salem, Decetnber 24:th, 1815. 
Captain George Coggeshall : 

Dear Sir : — If you have seen Mr. Depeyster, he has 
probably informed you of my unfortunate attempt to escape 
from Gibraltar. 

After waiting about ten minutes, (time I thought sufficient 
for you to reach the mole,) I left the wine shop in the same 
manner as yourself, and had already passed the two gates, and 
was on the mole, when I was arrested by the sergeant under 
whose charge we were, who demanded, in the most severe 
manner, where you were. Sensible that you must have been 
on the mole at the time, I told him that when you left me, you 
were going to M <3ssrs. Turnbull & Go's. He immediately turned 



110 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER LEO. 

backj and with myself proceeded to their house. After gaining 
it, and passing away about forty-five minutes, he suspected I 
was deceiving him, consequently returned with me to the mole 
to make all inquiries, but in vain. He left your description 
with the officer of the mole. He then dragged me to the town 
major, who went immediately on horseback to every passage in 
the garrison with your description. 

Fortune and my best wishes favored your escape, however. 
We were carried to England and remained till the 29th of 
April, then released, and I came home as an agent for one of 
the Cartels. 



CHAPTER V. 

VOYACxE m THE SHIP "JOHN HAMILTON," FROM BALTIMORE 
TO SAVANNAH, THENCE TO LISBON AND ST. UBES, AND BACK 
TO NEW- YORK, IN THE YEARS 1815 AND 1816. 

A FEW days after my arrival at New- York, in the Portuguese 
brig Tres Hermanos, from Lisbon, I returned to my quiet home 
at Milford, Connecticut, on a visit to my family and friends, 
and was most happy in again meeting with those so dear to 
my heart, after an absence during which I had passed through 
such changes and perils. I felt truly grateful to God for hav- 
ing delivered me from the power of the enemy and the violence 
of the tempest. Soon, however, to my great regret, I received 
a letter from my former employers, Archibald Gracie &. Sons, 
requesting me to come down to New- York. 

During our war with Great Britain (which had but recently 
terminated), a large English ship called the John Hamilton 
was captured by some American cruiser, sent into Baltimore, 
and there condemned with her. cargo. This ship was 533 
tons burthen, and laden with mahogany from the Bay of Hon- 
duras, and bound for England. American papers were obtain- 
ed for her, and Messrs. Gracie &. Sons became her agents. By 
their request I left New- York for Baltimore on the 9th of June, 
1815, to take the command and proceed from Baltimore to Sa- 
vannah, for a car§p of rice and cotton for Lisbon. I agreed 
with Mr. Charles M. Hanstrom to go with me in the capacity 
of chief mate : Mr. H. had been formerly mate with me in the 
ship America, and was a very worthy, efficient man. He left 



112 VOYAGE IK THE SHIP JOHN HAMILTON. 

New- York a few days after, and joined the ship in Baltimore. I 
took also with me my youngest brother Francis, a lad about 
seventeen years old, as my clerk, and sent him to Baltimore 
by water in charge of my baggage. I arrived at Baltimore on 
the 12th of June, and took charge of the ship. She had been 
laid up for several months, and upon examination I found the 
fore and main masts quite rotten, and many other spars of less 
importance, also defective. These masts and spars were all 
replaced with new ones, and the ship calked and ballasted 
with stone, before she could proceed to sea. This occupied 
about a month, when I shipped a second mate, Mr. Archibald 
R. Gracie, of Jamaica, L. I., a fine young man about twenty- 
two years of age, with a crew of fifteen seamen ; and on the 
12th of July left Baltimore, bound for Savannah. We had 
light winds from the southward, and did not leave the Capes 
until the 17th. I discharged the pilot off Cape Henry. The 
ship was in light ballast trim, only drawing eleven feet water, 
and when the wind was ahead we made but little progress 
beating to windward. 

It was now midsummer, the weather extremely warm, and 
the winds light and almost constantly ahead, from the S. W., 
so that with the greatest exertion we were not able to pass Cape 
Hatteras until the tenth day after leaving Cape Henry, and 
day after day were beating with light winds from the south- 
ward and westward, in sight of Cape Fear. It was one of 
the most tedious passages I ever made considering the short 
distance. 

We however arrived safe at Savannah on the 7th of August, 
after a passage of 25 days. The summer, up to this date, had 
been excessively hot, and the winds almost constantly from 
the S. W. Many vessels from the northern States had long 
passages as well as ourselves. ' One ship was 54 days in 
reaching there from New- York. , 

The John Hamilton leaked so badly on the passage, that 
I did not think it prudent to take a cargo on board Avithout 
calking her bottom, and for this purpose was compelled to 



VOYAGE IN" THE SHIP JOHN HAMILTON. 113 

heave her out and calk her throughout ; this occupied about 
ten days. The ship drew too much water to load at the town, 
and we were obliged to drop her several miles down the river, 
to a place called " Four-mile Point," to take the cargo on 
board. Our consignee, or commercial agent there, was Barney 
McKmney, Esq. This gentleman had purchased a cargo of 
rice and cotton, by order and for account of Francis T. Sam- 
payo, Esq., a Portuguese gentleman, at this time residing in 
New- York. It had been ready to go on board for several 
weeks, but owing to our detention, reJfitting the ship in Balti- 
more, long passage, and heaving out to repair, combined, we 
were delayed until the midst of the sickly season. A few days 
after we commenced taking in the cargo, several of the sailors 
were taken sick with the yellow fever. Three out of five 
that I put into the Hospital died in a few days, and this 
so alarmed the others, when taken ill, that they begged me, 
for God's sake, not to send them there to die, as their shipmates 
had done, but to get board for them in a private family. Ac- 
cordingly, I hired a small house for their accommodation, and 
got a physician and black nurses to attend them. Though 
the poor fellows were better attended to, still several of thenij 
died ; and not one of the crew escaped sickness, except the 
cook and steward. I was obliged to hire negroes to take on 
board and stow away the cargo. 

On the 1st of September, Mr. Hanstrom was taken sick 
with the fever. I had him brought on shore, and placed him 
in a private family, and hired a physician and a nurse to attend 
him. The next day the second mate, Mr. Gracie, was taken 
to the same house, very ill with the fever, as was also my 
brother Francis ; so that both mates and my brother were 
very ill in one house, and the sailors in another. 

I was therefore obliged, myself, to attend to sending the 
cargo on board, besides visiting the sick in both houses. In 
consequence of this severe duty, watching at night with my 
brother and the two mates, and the exposure to the sun during 
the day, I was also taken very ill of the fever, at the hotel 



114 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP JOHN HAMILTON. 

where I resided. I had once had the yellow fever in Mar- 
tinique, and knew the necessity of taking powferful medicine 
in the first stage of the disease. Accordingly, I acted as my 
own physician, and in two days after was able to visit the sick 
in both houses again. 

Poor Gracie, the second mate, died on the 12th of Septem- 
ber, after ten days' illness. 

Mr. Hanstrom lingered until the 19th of the same month, 
when he died. 

My brother Francis was extremely reduced, and narrowly 
escaped death ; in fact, he was so feeble and emaciated, that 
when the ship was ready for sea I was obliged to leave him 
dn the family of a friend, to be sent home so soon as he should 
be able to endure the fatigue of the passage to New- York. 

This was the most sickly season that had been known for 
many years, so that when an English ship was announced, 
and an inquiry was made as to whom she was consigned, the 
reply was, that the ship and cargo were consigned to A., B. 
& Co., but the captain and crew were consigned to Old Watts 
(the undertaker). 

I have always found that in very sickly places, when men 
are surrounded with the dead and dying, that danger and 
death make but little impression on the minds of survivors, 
and produce little or no solemnity, so quickly do they become 
hardened and callous to the sufferings of their fellows. During 
the summer there were three or four English ships here, which 
lost their captains, officers, and nearly all their men, and their 
consignees were not able to dispatch the vessels until the win- 
'ter months. The merchants thought me fortunate in getting 
away in what they termed so short a time. My ship was 
loaded with 1,393 tierces of rice, and 638 bales of cotton, and 
St was now my first duty to obtain officers and men. I found 
■it impossible to get a suitable chief mate, and was therefore 
obliged to take the best I could find, who was a Mr. Peleg 
Billings, a native of New London, Connecticut. Mr. B. had been 
reared to the sea in a fishing-smack ; he was a good-natured, 



VOYAGE IN THE SHIP JOHN HAMILTON. 115 

honest man, and, for aught 1 know, a very good fisherman, 
but no more fit for chief mate of such a ship, than I was to be 
the pope of Rome. 

I appointed a second mate from among the seamen. His 
name was WiUiam Norton. He had never before been an 
officer, and was a man without any pretensions, but in the 
main was a pretty good fellow. 

With these two mates, a Dutch carpenter, cook, and stew- 
ard, and three or four of the old crew, who had escaped death 
but were still weak from the effects of sickness, I took the ship 
down near the mouth of the river, and repaired to the town 
and picked up such men as I could find that were willing to 
ship for a voyage to Lisbon. After a day or two I succeeded 
in getting six seamen, of all nations ; and such as they were, 
I was compelled to pay them twenty-five dollars per month, 
and to the chief mate fifty. After becoming ready for sea, the 
wind continued for several days to blow a strong gale from 
the N. E., with rainy, dark weather, and we were unable to 
get out until the morning of the 3d of October. At meridian, 
this day, the light-house on Tybee Island bore west, six miles 
distant. At 2 discharged the pilot, the light-house bearing N, 
W., twelve or fourteen miles distant. Several of the sailors 
were still sick, but nearly all of them convalescent. 

Tybee Light-house lies in lat. 32° 00' N. ; long. 80° 42^ 
W. of London. 

Oct. Ath. — Strong gales from N. E. and E. N. E. through- 
out all these 24 hours, with little or no current, as we were 
inside of the gulf stream. 

Oct. 5th. — Moderate breezes from the eastward during the 
whole of these 24 hours. I found the current setting N. E. 2| 
miles the hour. Lat. by obs. 31° 51' N. ; long, per account, 
79° 36'. 

Oct. Gth. — Light winds from the eastward throughout 
these 24 hours. Lat. by obs. 32° 8' N. 

Oct. 7th and 8th. — Light airs and calm weather ; gained 
very littl'e, and nothing transpired worth remarking. 



116 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP JOHN HAMILTON. 

Oct. 10th. — Strong gales from the south and S. W., at- 
tended by severe squalls and rain. Lat. by obs. 34° 37' N. ; 
long, per account 75° 5' W. 

Oct. 11th. — Brisk breezes from the southward throughout 
these 24 hours. 

Oct. 12th and IWi. — Light airs from the northward. In 
the afternoon of the 13th, passed near a ship standing to the 
westward, with loss of main and mizzen-mast. She required 
no assistance. 

Oct. 14:th. — Passed near a ship standing to the southward, 

Oct. 15ih. — Moderate breezes from the E. S. E. ; no inci- 
dent occurred worth remarking. Lat. by obs. 37° 19' North. 

Oct. 16th. — First part of these 24 hours light winds and 
calm. At 4 a. m. stiff gales at E. N. E., double reefed the 
top-sails, dark, cloudy weather. Lat. by obs. 37° 26' North. 

Oct. 17th. — Strong gales from the E. N. E. throughout all 
these 24 hours, attended with showers of rain. Ship making 
much water. Lat. by obs. 37° 52' North. 

Oct. IHth. — First and middle part of these 24 hours strong 
gales. At 8 p. m. hove to with the ship's head to the N. E. 
Wind E. by S. and E. S. E. and a high sea running. Lat. by 
obs. 39° 8' North. 

Oct. 19^;^.— Strong gales from theE. N. E. and N. E. At 
2 p. M. made sail to the S. E., strong gales and rainy weather ; 
at midnight hove to under a close reefed main-top-sail and lay 
until 8 A. M. when we again made sail ; saw a ship to the west- 
ward standing S. E. ; ship leaking very much. One pump 
almost constantly employed. Pumped up much rice, and 
being now in great distress, with the chief mate and 10 men 
sick below, I judged it best to steer for New- York. I accord- 
ingly bore up and ran to the westward. In consequence of 
the illness of the chief mate and so many of the crew, I was 
obliged to keep the deck almost day and night. Lat. 38° 56' N. j 
long, about 69° W. 

Oct. 20th. — Strong gales at E. and E. N. E. Still standing 
to the westward. Ship leaking badly ; one pump going nearly 




if^SSSiSi&^i 




VOYAGE IN THE SHIP JOHN HAMILTON. 117 

all the time and pumping up much rice. The ship labored 
and strained to such a degree, that many of the ground tier 
casks were crushed and broken, so that the pumps were often 
choked with loose rice, and as the ship had a very flat floor, it 
often happened that the water would lie in the bilge of the 
ship, so that I was frequently obliged to keep her ofl" before the 
wind, to free her from water in order to prevent the ground 
tier from being damaged. The latter part of these 24 hours 
the wind moderated and the weather became much better. 

Oct. 2\sL — Light winds and variable, with dark cloudy 
weather ; made but little progress to the westward ; ship still 
leaking badly ; from 8 to 10 men unfit for duty ; latter part of 
the 24 hours light winds and variable. Lat. by obs. 38° 13' N., 
long, per account, about 71° 44' W. 

Oct. 22d. — These 24 hours commenced with brisk breezes 
from the northward and westward ; found it impossible to get 
to the westward, when I again bore up and ran to the east- 
ward, determined to make the best of my way to Lisbon. Lat. 
by obs. 39° 20' N. 

Oct. 23d. — Moderate breezes from the westward and open 
cloudy weather; still steering to the eastward, carrying all 
the sail I could do with safety : 8 men sick below, and the 
chief mate unable to keep the deck. Lat. by obs. 39° 43' N., 
long. 70° W. 

Oct. 2Uh and 25th. — Strong gales from the westward 
throughout these two days ; still runnmg to the eastward. 
Lat. at noon 39° 43' N. 

Oct. 26th. — These 24 hours commenced with strong gales 
at S. W. and a high sea running. At 8 p. m. carried away the 
main-top-mast, just above the cap, strong gales at S. W. and W. 
S- W. with a high sea running, weather very dark and squally ; 
both mates and 10 men sick below ; both pumps employed 
nearly all the time, and almost constantly choking with rice. 
I was unable to leave the deck during the whole night. I 
have often seen hard times at sea, but this night was the 
worst. Four good and true men with the cook and steward 



118 VOYAGE m THE SHIP JOHN HAMILTON. 

were all I could muster during the whole of this dreadful 
night. Toward the end of these 24 hours, the weather be- 
came a little more moderate. No obs. ; lat. by account 39° 43' 
N. ; long. 61° 22' W. 

Oct. 27th. — Strong gales from the S. W., with much sea ; 
got the heel of the main-top-mast on deck, and cleared away 
the wreck. The chief mate and eight men still below, and 
unable or unwilling to come on deck. Ship still leaking very 
much. Lat. by obs. 41° 34' N. ; long. 44° 0/ W. 

Oct. 2Sth. — Fresh breezes from the westward ; now mak- 
ing very good progress to the eastward ; although the main- 
top-mast was gone, we ran on our course at a fast rate ; set the 
carpenter at fitting and getting ready a new main-top-mast. 
Lat. by obs. 41° 34' N. ; long. 56° 10' W. 

Oct. 29ik. — These twenty- four hours commenced with strong 
breezes from the S. W., with rain ; latter part more moderate. 
At 9 A. M. spoke the ship Sachem, Captain Davis, of New- York, 
twenty-seven days from Bordeaux, bound home. Captain D. 
kindly offered to render me any assistance in his power, but as 
the wind was favorable, I thanked him for his politeness and 
made what sail I could, and stood on our course. Lat. by ac- 
count 42° 24' N. 

Oct. 30th. — Moderate breezes from the westward and fine 
weather. This day I was compelled to perform a most disa- 
greeable duty, that of punishing one of my men, the Dutch 
carpenter, whose violation and gross insubordination of lan- 
guage and manner, especially when my situation was most cri- 
tical and perilous, were such as to leave me no alternative but 
that of making an example of him, or of abandoning all disci- 
pline. He was of quick and fiery temper, and had in some way 
obtained liquor, and with its added fury became a most dan- 
gerous man. He foamed at the mouth, but after being severe- 
ly chastised, and being literally drenched with water, which I 
found it necessary to have thrown upon him to cool him, he 
became orderly and continued so during the rest of the voyage. 

Oct. 31st. — Light winds from the N. W. and fine weather ; 



VOYAGE IN THE SHIP JOHN HAMILTON. 119. 

ship leaking badly ; six men still unable to do duty ; the two 
mates were able to be on deck only in fine weather. Lat. 
by obs. 41° 20' ; long. 50° 41' W. 

Nov. 1st. — At 6 A. M. one of the sick seamen died. After 
suifering for several weeks, he gradually declined, and finally 
expired apparently without a struggle. He was an elderly 
man, of a mild and gentle temper. I shipped him in Savan- 
nah, just before sailing. 

Nov. 2nd. — This day moderate breezes from the E. N. E., 
and fine weather. At noon got up the new main-top-mast ; 
passed near a brig standmg to the westward ; in the afternoon 
committed the body of the deceased seaman to the great deep 
with the usual solemnities. These twenty-four hours end 
with light winds from the eastward and fine weather. 

Nov. Zrd and Wi. — Moderate breezes from the S. W. and 
open cloudy weather ; nothing Avorth remarking occurred dur- 
ing the last two days. 

Nov. 5th. — At 6 A. M. made the Island of Corvo, bearing 
south twelve or fifteen leagues distant ; middle and latter part 
of these twenty-four hours light winds from the northward and 
fine weather. Lat. by obs. 40° 34' N. ; long 31° 5' W. 

Nov. Qth and 7th. — Moderate breezes and variable, with 
open cloudy weather ; on the 7th at noon, lat. 39° 46' N. 

Nov. Sth. — Light winds and variable ; at meridian saw the 
Island of Terceira bearing south eight or ten leagues distant. 
Lat. by obs. 39° 24' N. ; long. 27° 12' W. 

Nov. 9th. — We still had a continuation of light winds and 
fine weather. 

Nov. lOth. — We still had a continuation of fine weather ; 
another of the sick men who had suft'ered with the yellow 
fever in Savannah expired from its effects. 

Nov. llth. — In the afternoon of this day committed the 
body of poor Williams, the seaman, to its watery grave. Ir was 
a sad and solemn scene. Lat. 40° 11' N. ; long. 26° W. 

The remainder of the passage was a repetition of the same 
light -winds, and generally fine weather, which -contributed to 
restore the officers and seamen to a better state of health. 



120 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP JOHN HAMILTON. 

Nov. 21st. — We got safe into Lisbon, after a passage of 
forty-six days, and I think I can safely say the most disagree- 
able one I ever made, up to this period of my life. 

We came to anchor nearly opposite Belem Castle, and in 
consequence of bad weather remained there for several days. 
My ship and cargo were consigned to H. T. Sampayo, a rich 
merchant established in Lisbon, and a gentleman of great in- 
fluence with all the public authorities, which I suppose was 
the reason I escaped from quarantine. 

On my arrival, my officers and crew so far recovered as to 
pass inspection tolerably well. On the 23rd of November we 
moved the ship farther up the river, nearly opposite to the 
town, and as the cotton was transhipped to England, we were 
allowed to discharge it forthwith into two small Enghsh brigs. 
This facilitated our unloading, and made clear room to dis- 
charge the rice. 

On the 27th instant, while I was on shore, a very unplea- 
sant affair occurred on board. Mr. Norton, the second mate, had 
some difficulty with an ordinary seaman belonging to the inte- 
rior of Georgia, when the sailor, in a jfit of paassion, drew from 
his pocket a small knife, and stabbed him in his left side. 
When I came on board in the evening, I found the poor fellow 
in great distress. For some hours I feared the wound would 
prove mortal ; fortunately, however, the knife had not pene- 
trated far, and in a few days he was able to resume his duty. 
The man who inflicted the wound appeared very humble and 
penitent, and with the consent and advice of Mr. Hutchinson^ 
the American consul, I forthwith discharged him. He return- 
ed to Savannah, and here the business ended. 

After the cotton was discharged, we commenced landing 
a portion of the rice. As there was no vo^fage determined on, 
there appeared to be no hurry on the part of the consignee, and 
we had merely to land the rice from time to time, when sold. 
A survey was held on the ship, and it was found necessary to 
heave her out, re-calk and copper her with new copper. The 
second mate, and almost all the seamen, desired to be dis- 



VOYAGE m THE SHIP JOHN HAMILTON. 121 

charged, and as it was uncertain whither she would proceed 
after leaving Lisbon, an arrangement was made with the men, 
with the consent of the American consul, that they should be 
discharged and paid off. Accordingly, about the first of Jan- 
uary, Mr. Norton, the second mate, and nearly all the crew, 
were discharged and left the ship, after which I hired men by 
the day to discharge the cargo. Towards the last of January, 
when the greatest part of the rice was landed, we found that a 
large portion of the ground tier was badly damaged with salt 
water, I think from one hundred and thirty to one hundred and 
fifty casks. Had the John Hamilton been built in the United 
States, little or none of the rice would have been damaged. I 
think the construction of merchant ships in the United States 
is far better than in England. Many of the ports in England 
are quite dry at low water, and their ships must be built quite 
flat on the bottom, so that they will not heel when aground at 
low water ; whereas, in North America, it is not necessary to 
build our ships to take the ground, there being very few "tide 
harbors" in the United States. The /oA/i i/am/Z/o/i was built 
at Whitby, England, and was exceedingly flat on the floor, 
and whenever I carried taut sail upon the wind, the water 
would lie in the lee bilge where the pumps would not reach it. 
Often, on the passage out, I was obliged to keep the ship off 
before the wind to pump her out, and after every possible care 
was taken to prevent it, still a great portion of the ground tier 
of rice was badly damaged. Sharp built ship^are not liable 
to this evil, and in my opinion sail faster and work better than 
the merchant ships built in England. 

While in Lisbon I took lodgings on the third floor of a 
large stone building five stories high. The family with whom 
I lived was composed of two widow ladies, sisters. One of 
these ladies had four children, the eldest a girl of thirteen 
years, the youngest about four years old. On the night of the 
1st of February, at one hour after midnight, I was awaked 
from a profound sleep by a violent earthquake, and before I 
had time to dress, the whole family came rushing into my 



122 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP JOHN HAMILTON. 

room in theirnight-clothes, crying, "O ! Dios Misericordia. Miseri- 
cordia ; Don Gorge Misericordia." The women were alarmed 
almost to distraction, the children were crying, dogs barking, 
and the chairs and tables rattling about the room ; while the 
immense stone edifice in which we lived was reeling to and 
fro, apparently in the act of tumbling to the ground. I called 
for a light, which after some moments was brought, and thanks 
be to God the earth had then ceased to quake. There were 
various opinions about its duration, some affirmed that it lasted 
two minutes, others that it lasted but one ; I think the truth 
lay between the extremes. 

Had it continued a minute or two longer, I have no doubt 
the greatest part of the city would have been thrown down. Soon 
after the alarm had in some measure subsided, I threw open 
the window and found the weather was dark and cloudy, with 
a little rain, but no wind. About 6 o'clock in the morning we 
experienced a second shock. This shock, although very se- 
vere, only lasted a few seconds, and passed off" without doing 
any damage. The next morning the whole city was in a high 
state of excitement ; nearly all the pendulum clocks in the 
town had stopped. Many of the houses were cracked and 
very much injured. Every person I met had something to re- 
late about the convulsion. That night there was a grand ball 
of ladies and gentlemen. They had ceased dancing and had 
just seated themselves at the supper table, when the earth be- 
gan to shake.j^ A gentleman who was present told me it was 
a most distracting scene ; he said the dishes and glasses were 
dancing about the table, and many of them thrown on the floor 
and broken. Some of the ladies fainted, others were ringing 
their hands, and crying for help, while " Misericordia," resound- 
ed from every part of the grand saloon. 

The Priests, as is usual on such occasions, wished to turn 
this great convulsion of nature to their own account ; they 
told the people it was sent in punishment for their sins, and 
advised universal confession, fasting, and prayer. For some 
eight or ten days after this great event almost every vessel 



VOYAGE IN THE SHIP JOHN" HAMILTON. 128 

that arrived had sensibly felt the earthquake ; some at a dis- 
tance of at least 400 miles from the port. Letters received 
from Oporto, stated that it was very severely felt in that city, 
and I have no doubt but the whole of this little kingdom ex- 
perienced more or less of the convulsion. 

A few days after this happened I had a conversation with 
Mr. John Caffery of this place, on the subject of earthquakes. 
Mr. C. was a worthy, intelligent, elderly gentleman of English 
parentage, and was then about seventy-one years of age. He 
told me that he witnessed the horrors of the great earthquake 
in 1755, that he was,then a boy of ten years of age, and with 
his father visited many parts of the city. He said it occurred 
between 10 and 11 o'clock in the morning, that great num- 
bers of the people fled from their dwellings and that many 
of the houses took fire ; crowds of people rushed into the 
churches for greater safety, when, sad to relate, the churches 
were thrown down, and thousands crushed to death in the 
ruins. He pointed out to me the location of a great stone mole 
or quay where at the time a ferry was kept ; it was a thorough- 
fare where throngs of people collected to pass to the opposite side 
of the river. In an instant the whole of this vast quay dis- 
appeared and every person perished, and to use his own words, 
not a hat or bonnet was seen floating on the surfac.; ; and on 
the same spot where this stupendous quay sunk, was found 
three or four fathoms of water. 

To fill up the measure of sickness and death dming this 
disastrous voyage, I will here relate another melancholy cir- 
cumstance that occurred while lying here. Before leaving 
Baltimore, I shipped a carpenter by the name of George Pat- 
terson, a native of Norfolk, "Virginia. This man was extremely 
sick nearly all the time we remained at Savannah, but by 
great care and good nursing, he so far recovered as to be able 
to proceed on the voyage. In consequence of the low state of 
Patterson's health, I shipped the insubordinate Dutchman to 
act as carpenter until Patterson should be able to do his duty. 
He however continued ill the greatest part of the passage out, 



124 VOYAGE IN THE SHIP JOHN HAMILTON. 

but on our arrival got quite well. He was a tall man, six feet 
two inches in height, and large in proportion, of an amiable 
temper, and in every respect a good man, and an excellent 
carpenter. Before heaving the ship down I had several calip- 
ers employed on her upper works while she was lying at 
anchor in the Tagus, nearly opposite Lisbon. These men 
were at work on stages hung over the side of the ship, and Pat- 
terson among the number, when at 8 o'clock in the morning of 
the 13th of February, the order was given for all hands to 
leave off work and take breakfast. Patterson lingered behind 
as I suppose to finish a thread of oakum, and all the men 
went to breakfast. I came on deck about ten or fifteen min- 
utes after and inquired for the carpenter, but alas ! he was not 
to be found, nor was he ever seen or heard of from that time. 
The current in the river at this time was running very strong, 
and the probability is, that the poor fellow slipped off the stage 
and sunk to rise no more. How inscrutable are the designs of 
Providence ; this man who had escaped death in so many 
shapes from the yellow fever, and the tempest, now when in 
apparent safety was snatched into eternity in a moment. 

After the cargo was all discharged, the ship was hove down, 
calked, and coppered. A voyage to the East Indies was pro- 
jected, and some preparations were made towards it, but for 
some cause or other it was finally abandoned, and after lying 
in Lisbon about four months and a half, I was ordered to bal- 
last the ship with salt, to go to St. Ubes and take on board the 
balance of a cargo of the same article, and proceed thence to 
New- York. I accordingly shipped a new crew, who put on 
board 200 moyes of salt, and on the 7th of April 1816 I left Lis- 
bon, and after a passage of six hours got safe at anchor at St. 
Ubes. The ship was consigned to Messrs. Rego & Sons, to 
procure a cargo for account of Francis T. Sampayo, Esq. Our 
consignee gave me good dispatch, so that in nine days I took 
on board 600 moyes of salt and was ready for sea. A few 
days before sailing, Frederick Beal, Esq., came here from Lis- 
bon and took passage with me for New- York. Mr. Beal was 



VOYAGE IN THE SHIP JOHN HAMILTON. 125 

a native of Stockholm, Sweden, and was a gentlemanly man, 
very companionable, and altogether an agreeable passenger. 
After loading the ship with salt she drew seventeen feet water, 
and as the channel at the mouth of the harbor was very nar- 
row and at this time neap tides, I was obliged to wait several 
days for a fair wind and spring tides before I could pass the 
bar. After waiting until the 24th of April we left St. Ubes, 
bound for New- York. It beu]g a fine season of the year we 
met with nothing worth remarking for many days, and when 
we had wind enough to steady the ship we got on pretty well, 
but when the sea was high and the winds light the ship rolled 
terribly, with a short jerking motion, so that I was in constant 
fear of losing the top-mast, notwithstanding I had the greatest 
bulk of the cargo in the centre, and a large portion of the salt 
raised high up between decks. In a calm, when the sea was 
high, it was to me perfect torture to watch the masts, expecting 
at every roll to see the top-masts go over the side. This was owing 
to the bad construction of the ship. We worked our way to 
the westward without any incident worth remarking, until the 
18th of May. At daylight we fell in with a great number of 
ice islands, many of which were enormously large ; several of 
them I think from 70 to 80 feet abovfe the water, and from 150 
to 200 feet long. The weather being fine, I went in the yawl 
to the leeward of one of these immense islands, and took lines 
with me with the intention of ascending to the top of one of 
the highest of them, and if possible to measure the exact height, 
but when I came to examine the mass, I found so much sea 
washing and dashing up against its sides that it was impossible 
to ascend it ; and although a portion of the top of the islands 
was porous ice and snow, near the water and for several yards 
above the surface it was as smooth as glass, and dangerous and 
difficult, if not impossible to ascend. Lat. by obs. at noon 43° 24' 
N. ; long, by a good lunar obs. 51° 58' W. 

May 22rd. — At 9 a. m. made the Isle of Sable, bearing W. 
S. W. about three or four leagues distant, at the same time 
saw a fishing schooner at anchor. We had no' observation of 



126 VOYAGE IK THE SHIP JOHN HAMILTON. 

the sun, it being obscured by clouds and fog ; wind from the 
E. N. E. To clear the island we hauled to the southward. 
After leaving the island of Sable we continued to work along 
to the westward, and generally had fine weather until the 30th 
of May, when we arrived at New- York all well after a passage 
of thirty-one days from St. Ubes. 

I remained in New- York a few days, and after I had dis- 
charged the crew, returned home to Milford. This has been 
altogether the most anxious and fatiguing voyage I ever made. 
I found all my family and friends well, and after remaining 
about a week at my mother's house, returned to New- York 
and attended to discharging the salt. It was a large cargo, I 
think 18,300 bushels. I then resigned the command of the 
Johii Hamilton, with a fixed determination to remain on shore 
for several months, and again returned to my native home in 
Milford on the 15th of June. 



CHAPTER VI. 

VOYAGE IN THE PILOT-BOAT SCHOONER " SEA SERPENT," FROM 
NEW-YORK TO LIMA, IN THE YEARS 1821 & 1822. 

After having settled the last voyage I made in the Volusia 
from New Orleans to Truxillo and Bonaco, and disposed of 
that vessel, I decided to make up a voyage to the Pacific. By 
recent accounts from Peru we learned that Lord Cochran, with 
a Chilian fleet, was blockading Lima, aided by a strong 
land force under the command of General St. Martin ; that the 
Spaniards had concentrated their armies in Lima and its 
vicinity, and had strongly fortified themselves there and at 
the castles of Callao, and would probably hold out for at least 
six months longer. We also heard that the inhabitants of 
Lima were in great want of every thing, especially provisions 
of almost every description. On the receipt of this informa- 
tion M r.H., a merchant of New- York, proposed to me in the 
;month of October, 1821, to purchase a fast-sailing pilot-boat 
schooner and fit her out for Lima, with a view of evading 
the blockade, and profiting by the high prices which could be 
obtained for almost every thing sent to that place. 

We soon made arrangements to purchase a suitable vessel, 
to be owned by Mr. H., Mr. B., an Italian gentleman and my- 
self. I agreed to take one fifth interest in the schooner and 
cargo, and to command the vessel, and act as supercargo during 
the voyage. The enterprise was well planned, and had the 
cargo been laid in with good judgment, the voyage would 



128 VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

have proved eminently successful. As it was managed by 
Mr. H. and Mr. B. it proved in the end rather a failure. 

I had never been in Lima and knew nothing of its wants ; 
Mr. B. had resided there several years, but as he was not a 
merchant, his information proved of little service. I relied 
entirely on the judgmciut of my two associates, and therefore 
took many articles not at all adapted to the market. Such arti- 
cles as were wanted at Lima paid an enormous profit. 

After searching about for a week or two, we at length found 
a sharp pilot-boat built schooner called the " Sea-Serpent." Her 
burthen was 139 tons. Though only three years old, she was 
soft and defective, and subsequently proved to be rotten, and, 
in bad weather, very leaky. The schooner had just returned 
from a voyage to Chagres, where she had lost her captain and 
officers and nearly all her crew by the yellow fever, and while 
in that hot climate she was not properly ventilated, and had 
thus suffered from dry rot. 

The defect was not discovered by the carpenter who was 
sent to examine her before she was purchased by Mr. H. I 
think we gave seven thousand five hundred dollars for the 
schooner, and on or about the 20th of October we commenced 
loading. We first took in ten or twelve tons of English and 
Swedish iron and 100 flasks of quicksilver, which cost over 
$3,500. Six hogsheads containing 234 kegs of butter, about 
2,500 pounds, and other articles of French, English and 
German goods, not at all adapted to the market, situated as the 
people of Lima were, in the midst of war and threatened with 
famine. 

The whole cost of the vessel and cargo, including the in-' 
surance out, was $30,726. 

Mr. B.'s interest amounted to $5,000, my own was one fifth 
of the adventure, and the remainder belonged to Mr. H. I 
subsequently, before sailing, sold .to my friend Richard M. 
Lawrence, Esq., of New- York, half of my interest in both 
vessel and cargo, leaving for my account only about $3,000. 
Beside this amount, I had, however, for my own private 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 129 

adventure about $1,500 in jewelry and silk stockings. These 
articles, though valuable, occupied but a very small space in 
the stowage of the vessel. I took with me Mr. B. as pas- 
sengeif my cousin Mr. Freegift Coggeshall as chief mate, my 
brother Francis Coggeshall as second mate, and a crew of 
nine men and boys, including the cook and steward. 

Thus loaded and manned, we sailed from New- York, on 
the 15th of November, 1821, for Lima. For the first and 
second days out we had fine weather and fair winds from the 
westward. On the third day, November 17th, we met with 
strong gales from the eastward and a high head sea running, so 
that we were compelled to lay to ten or twelve hours. Our 
decks were filled with water and the schooner began to leak, 
which was a bad sign at the commencement of a long voyage. 
The next day the wind shifted to the westward, when we again 
made sail and stood on our course to the eastward. We con- 
tinued to have strong gales from the westward and very bad 
weather until the 4th of December, when we made the Island 
of St. Mary's, bearing E. 8. E. five leagues distant. This is one 
of the Azores or Western Islands, and lies in lat. 36° 59' North, 
long. 25° 10' West. 

We lost here two days, by reason of strong gales from the 
S. S. W., with a high head sea, and very squally Aveather. 
After getting into lat. 24° N., we took the regular trade winds, 
and generally had pleasant weather ; but whenever we en- 
countered a strong breeze, we found the schooner leaked con- 
siderably, and being deeply laden, she was extremely wet and 
uncomfortable. 

On the night of the 17th of December, 1821, when in lat. 
16°, long, about 25° W., we caught fifty-eight flying-fish on 
deck. The schooner was so deep and low in the water, that 
large numbers of these fish came on board. The next day, 
December 18th, a great number of flying-fish were washed on 
board, and others flew on board in such numbers, that we had, 
during these two days, enough to serve all hands in abundance. 
9 



130 VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

The schooner continued to leak more and more, and we now 
kept one pump employed almost constantly. 

From this time to the 25th, nothing remarkable occurred. 
Christmas being an idle day, we killed the only remmining 
pig, all the others, eight in number, having been drowned by 
the salt water, which almost always flooded the decks when 
there was a high sea. 

On the 27th, saw a sail, standing to the northward ; and 
this day we crossed the equinoctial line, in long. 26° W. ; light 
winds and variable, with dark, rainy weather ; thermometer 
stood at 84° at two P. M. We continued to experience light 
winds and variable, with dark, rainy weather, for forty-eight 
hours, when we struck the S. E. trades in lat. 4° S. We had 
for many days fine breezes from the S. E,, and very pleasant 
weather. I have almost always found this region of the South 
Atlantic — say from 5° to 20° S. latitude — a delightful part of 
the ocean to navigate, the weather fine and mild, and the skies 
very beautiful, with a temperature generally not so hot as to 
be uncomfortable. 

We sailed through these pleasant latitudes without any 
incident worth remarking until we reached lat. 22° 41' S., on 
the 6th of January, 1822, when we again had bad, rainy wea- 
ther, with the wind from the westward. This continued for 
24 hours, when we again had a return of the S. E. trades, and 
pleasant weather. 

January 8th, lat. 24° 20' S. — Last night, the weather 
being very fine and clear, we saw for the first time what are 
called the Magellan clouds. They are three in number, and 
were not far above the horizon. They bore from us about S. 
S. E., and are evidently clusters of stars ; two of them appeared 
white like the milky-way, the other was dark and indistinctly 
seen. 

January 9th. — At 8 o'clock in the morning, the weather 
being hazy, with a light breeze from the S. E., the man on the 
lookout at the mast-head cried out " Land ho !" and told the 
officer of the deck that he saw something ahead that looked 



VOYAGE m THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 131 

like a small island, and that there were thousands of birds on 
and around it. In a few minutes every eye was eagerly gaz- 
ing at the supposed island. 

I knew there was no land laid down on any of my charts 
near where we were, and therefore concluded that it must be 
the wreck of a ship. As the wind was very light we drew 
slowly up with the newly discovered object. It soon, however, 
became visible from the deck, when I took a spy-glass and 
examined it with close attention, but owing to the constant 
changes it assumed I was at loss to decide what it was, from 
its undulating appearance, alternately rising above the water 
and then again disappearing beneath, until within half a mile's 
distance, when all doubt was solved, and we found it to be an 
enormous dead whale floating on its back. It was very much 
swollen, and at times was apparently some six or eight feet 
above the water. There were innumerable flocks of wild fowl 
hovering over and alighting upon it. Many of them appeared 
to be devouring it, and making loud and wild screams, as if 
exulting over this grand but accidental feast. 

In order to ascertain with more precision its length and 
size, I hove the schooner to, a short distance to windward, and 
went in my boat to examine it, which I did to my entire satis- 
faction. 

When approaching near, it became so offensive that I was 
obliged to keep at a respectful distance to windward, and there 
watch the numerous flocks of sea-birds that were revelling upon 
it. In the midst of their din of discordant screams, it was 
strange to witness with what delight they tore off portions of 
the fish, and how at each moment their number seemed to 
augment. 

After leaving this scene, I came to the conclusion that dead 
whales like this are one great cause of so many "dangers" and 
" small islands," being laid down on all the old charts, which 
dangers are found not to exist. Such objects as these were 
probably discovered in dark, windy weather, when it would 
have been dangerous to have approached near enough to the 



132 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOOKER SEA-SERPENT. 

supposed islands to ascertain what they really were. Thus 
we have, even at the present time, laid down all over the At- 
lantic ocean, rocks, shoals, and dangers, the greater part of 
which do not in reality exist. 

January lOth, lat. 26° 10' S. — During the early part of the 
last two nights we have seen the four bright stars called the 
Southern Cross. They are very brilliant, and with a little 
help of the imagination form a pretty good representation of 
the Christian cross ; and I have no doubt that many of the 
early Roman Catholic navigators believed they were placed 
in the heavens to substantiate the truth of the Christian reli- 
gion. 

January l5th. — This day, at noon, we fell in with and 
boarded the ship Hannibal, of Sag Harbor, seven months out 
on a whaling voyage. They informed me that they had on 
board 3000 barrels of oil. 

At 9 o'clock, P. M., spoke the whaling ship Fame, of New 
London. We were now in lat. 37° 20' S., long. 49° W. 

On the 17th Jan. we had clear, pleasant weather, with light 
and variable winds. At 10 o'clock A. M. our long., by a good 
lunar observation, was 50° 38' West, lat. at noon 41° 1' South. 
At 6 o'clock of this day we fell in with the ships Herald and 
Amazon. They were cruising in company for whale, and 
both belonged to Fair Haven, Mass. The captain of the Herald 
came on board to ascertain his longitude ; he said they had 
seen no land for the last two months, and had been too busy 
to pay much attention to the course or position of the ship ; 
that he knew nothing of lunar observations, and had no chro- 
nometer ; he was therefore desirous to ascertain the present 
position of his ship. I had an excellent chronometer on board, 
and, as the lunar observation taken that day agreed with the 
chronometer, I told him there was no doubt that I could give 
him the exact latitude and longitude. He said he had only 
been eight months at sea, and had then on board 1400 barrels 
of oil ; that the Amazon had taken 1100 barrels, and that he 
should soon steer to the northward on his way home. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT, 133 

When the whale-boat belonging to the Herald was along- 
side the Sea-Serpent^ the boat was higher than the deep-loaded 
pilot-boat. The captain of the Herald said to me : — " Well, 
<;aptain, you say you are from New- York, bound for Lima, 
but seriously, are you going round Cape Horn in this little 
whistle-diver ?" " I shall certainly try it, captain," said I, " and 
hope I shall succeed." " Well, then, captain," he replied, " but 
tell me, did you get your life insured before you left home ?" 
*' No," said I, " but I left my family in comfortable circum- 
stances, so that if I should be taken away they will have 
enough to live upon ; besides, I am a good schooner sailor, and 
am accustomed to these whistle-divers, as you call them." — 
■*' Well, captain," said the whaler, " I must say you have good 
courage, and I hope you may succeed ; but for my part, I had 
rather kill a hundred whales than go round the Horn in this 
little craft." After this dialogue we parted with mutual good 
wishes for future prosperity and happiness, and each resumed 
our course upon the great trackless deep. The next day, Jan. 
18th, we had strong breezes from the S. E., and though the 
winds were fresh and strong, and considerable sea, we were 
able to steer on our S. W. course under reefed sails. 

I must not omit to mention the singular fact, of a flock of 
sea-birds which followed my schooner for the last ten days, 
namely from lat 26° S., and were now still hovering near the 
vessel, sometimes a little ahead, and then again about thirty 
or forty yards astern. They were generally a little astern and 
frequently alighted on the water, and appeared to watch every 
small particle of food or grease that was thrown overboard. 
They were fifteen in number, and about the size of a common 
tame pigeon. They are called by seamen, cape pigeons. 

From this time to the 22nd of January, nothing remark- 
able occurred until on that day, when we met with a severe 
gale from the southward, attended with a high head sea, so 
that at midnight we were obliged to lay to under a close reefed 
foresail. We were now in lat. 46° 50' S,, long. 58° 26'. W. At 
noon I caught three large albatros, with a hook and line buoy- 



134: VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

ed up by several corks and baited with fat pork. One of the lar- 
gest measured across his wings, from tip to tip, eight feet four 
inches. They were covered with white feathers three or four 
inches thick. They appear to be thus kindly protected by Pro- 
vidence from the cold in these inclement latitudes. In low 
latitudes, where the weather is hot and sultry, the birds are thin- 
ly covered with feathers, which are mostly of high and bril- 
liant colors. The fish also, in hot climates, partake of the same 
gay and bright colors ; such for instance as the parrot iish,. the- 
red snapper, and many others. After passing these hot regions 
and approaching the latitude of 50°, and so on to the latitude 
of Cape Horn, the birds are generally all white and clothed 
with an immense mat of down and feathers. Among the fish? 
likewise, I saw no gay-colored ones, in these cold regions ; on 
the contrary, I frequently saw large schools of porpoises pied, 
and sometimes quite white. 

While sailing and travelling about the world, I have often 
been struck with the wisdom and goodness of God, not only 
to man but to all His creatures, in adapting their condition to 
the diflferent cUmates of the earth. We find the colored man 
adapted to the sultry, burning climates, and the white man 
constituted to endure the cold. So it is with beasts,, birds, 
and fish. 

I first began to notice the kindness of Providence,, when 
only a boy trading to the islands in the West Indies. I ob- 
served that the sheep we used to take there from Connecticut^ 
though thickly covered with wool, would shortly lose their 
fleeces, and eventually become hairy like goats. On the other 
hand, the higher the latitude, and where the cold is most in- 
tense, the thicker and finer is the fur on the animals^ for ex- 
ample, where the bear, seal, and musk ox are found. 

As we increased our latitude, the weather became daily 
more and more rough and boisterous \ we encountered storm 
after storm, and the weather was more cloudy, cold and dis- 
agreeable, which kept us reefing and changing almost hourly. 
On the 26th of January, at 5 a. m.j daylight, we made the 



VOYAGE m THE SCHOONER SEA-SERP|:NT. 135 

Falkland Islands, bearing from S. to S. E., distant five leagues; 
the winds being light and the weather moderate, we stood in 
shore. The wind being at this time at W. S. W., we were mi- 
able to fetch to westward of the islands, and therefore com- 
menced beating up along-shore to weather the westernmost 
island. These islands appear of a moderate height, and gener- 
ally rocky and barren. Lat. by obs. this day 51° 18' S., long, 
about 61* 6' W. We continued to beat to the westward all 
this day and the day following ; standing off and on the land 
with open, cloudy weather, and moderate gales from the S. W. 
Saw a high rock appearing like a lofty sail ; marked on the 
charts Eddystone Rock. 

On Monday, January 28th, the land still in sight ; at meri- 
dian the wind shifted to the N. W., which enabled us to 
weather the land, and thus we passed to the westward of this 
group of islands and steered on our course to the southward, 
and westward towards Cape Horn ; lat. by obs. at noon 50° 
58' S., long. 61° 50' W. In the afternoon of this day the 
weather became thick and rainy ; passed several tide rips, and 
saw a number of penguin. The little flock of cape pigeons 
before alluded to still followed the schooner, our constant com- 
panions by day and by night, in sunshine and in tempest. 
The variation of the cgmpass here is from one and three-quar- 
ters to two points easterly. The weather was now cold and 
disagreeable, temperature by Fahrenheit's therm. 50° above zero. 
Tuesday^ January 29th. — Light winds and variable. 
This day the weather appeared to change every hour or 
two; at times the sun would shine out, and then suddenly 
disappear and become obscured by a thick fog. This would 
continue but for a short time, when a strong breeze from the 
northward would blow all the fog away and the sky remain 
pretty clear for a few hours, then the sun would again break 
out and shine for an hour or two, and peihaps another hour 
would bring a flight of snow. Sometimes, even Avhen the sun 
was shining, the decks would be covered for a few minutes 
with snow, which would soon melt away and be followed by 



136 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

a violent shower of rain and hail. In fine, I find it very dif- 
ficult to describe the weather in this dreary region ; though we 
were in the midst of summer, we had all the seasons of the 
year in the course of a day. These continual changes kept 
us constantly making and taking in sail throughout these 
twenty-four hours. Lat. by obs. 53° 1' S.. long. 64° 0' W. 

Jati. 30th. -~ These twenty- four hours commenced with 
a strong gale from the westward, with a high heai sea run- 
ning. At 1 p. M., hove to under a two-reefed foresail ; dark, 
cloudy, cold weather, with violent squalls of hail and rain. At 
midnight the gale moderated, when we again made sail, the 
schooner laboring violently and making much water. Lat., 
by observation, 53° 30' S., long. 64° W. 

Jan. 3lst. — This day commenced with strong gales 
from the westward, with a high head sea running ; weather 
dark and gloomy. The wind throughout these twenty-four 
hours continued to blow strong from the westward, and being 
directly ahead, we found it impossible to gain to the westward, 
and were glad to hold our own without losing ground. Dur- 
ing the day we had much thunder and lightning. Lat., by 
observation, 54° 1' S., long. 64° 00' W. 

Feb. 1st. — Last night the sky was clear for a little 
while in the zenith, when Ave saw the jyLagellan clouds nearly 
over our heads. This day we had a continuation of strong 
gales from the westward, and very bad, stormy weather ; we, 
hoviTever, continued to ply to the windward under close-reefed 
sails, but having a strong westerly gale and a lee current 
against us, we made but little progress. At 6 A. M. made 
Staten Land ; this land, like the Falklands, appeared cold and 
dreary, and only a fit habitation for seal and wild fowl, which 
are here very abundant. The sea in this vicinity also abounds 
in whales of monstrous bulk. At noon the body of Staten 
Land bore N. by W., twelve leagues distant. At meridian 
the sun shone out, when we found our latitude to be 55° 31' 
S., long. 64° 8' W. 

Feb. 2nd. — This day, like the last, was dark and 




j^:^>aaife«^'ir»V<iii-tf'i'?iii'j itri/^ivi 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 187 

gloomy, with a continuation of westerly winds, but not so 
strong as to prevent our plying to windward, under close-reefed 
sails. The thermometer fell down to 45° above zero. Incon- 
sequence of contrary winds and a lee current we gained but 
little on our course during these twenty-four hours. Lat., by 
observation, 56° 20' S., long. 65° 27' W. 

Feb. 3rd. — On this day, when within about 50 miles 
of Cape Horn, a terrible gale commenced blowing from the 
westward. It continued to increase until it blew a perfect 
hurricane, and soon created a mountainous sea. We got our 
foreyard on deck, and hove the schooner to, under the head of 
a new foresail. I then ordered all the bulwarks and waist- 
boards to be knocked away, that nothing might impede the 
water from passing over the decks without obstruction, other- 
wise so great a quantity would have lodged in the lee-waist 
that our little schooner would have been water-logged and 
swamped with the weight of it. With crowbars and axes the 
waist-boards were all demolished, and the sea broke over the 
decks and passed off without injury to our little bark, and she 
rose like a stormy petrel on the top of the sea, which threatened 
every moment to swallow us in its abyss. The ocean was 
lashed into a white foam by the fury of the tempest. The 
same weather continued with but little intermission for a space 
of five days. During a great part of this time it was almost 
impossible to look to windward, so violent were the hail and 
snow squalls. In the midst of this tempest, my otficers and 
men behaved nobly : the most perfect order prevailed ; not a 
whisper of fear or contention was heard during the whole of 
our perilous situation. To render the men more comfortable, 
I removed them all from the forecastle to the cabin, where they 
continued to live until we had fairly doubled the Cape and 
found better weather. • 

My Italian passenger was terribly alarmed during the tem- 
pest, and entreated me, in piteous tones, to put away for Rio 
Janeiro. He said if I would do so, he would instantly sign 
an agreement to give me all his interest in the vessel and cargo. 



138 VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

I resolutely declined his offer, and told him that while we had 
masts and sails, and the vessel would float under us, 1 would 
never put back. 

This Cape is rendered more dreadful from the fact of its 
inhospitable position, and being so far removed from any civil- 
ized port. It is a cold, cheerless, barbarous coast, where no 
provision, or supplies of any kind, can be had in case of ship- 
wreck or disaster, so that the greatest vigilance and perseve- 
rance are necessary to bear the many obstacles that present 
themselves. 

Feb. 8th. — The gale abated, and we were again en- 
abled to make sail and ply to the westward. Our faithful 
little pigeons had hovered about us during the long tempest, 
and now resumed the journey with us. We got an observation 
of the sun this day at noon, and found ourselves in lat. 57° 33' 
S., long. 66° 12' W. 

Feb. 9th. — We had, throughout these twenty-four 
hours, favorable gales from the N. E., and open, cloudy wea- 
ther. Made all sail and steered to the westward, and gained 
160 miles distance on a direct course, and everything began to 
wear a better appearance. We made better progress this day 
than we had done since om- arrival in these high southern lat- 
itudes. Lat., by observation at noon, 57° 16' S., long, by 
chronometer 71° 4' W. 

Feb. 10th. — This day commenced with strong gales from 
the southward, with dark, squally weather ; under reefed sails, 
standing to the northward and westward, made a distance of 
155 miles per log. Towards noon the sun shone out, when 
we found ourselves, at meridian, in lat. 55° 44' S., long. 74° 
48 W. We had now fairly doubled Cape Horn ; and I hoped 
in a few days to descend to lower latitudes, and find warmer 
and better weather.* It was now fifteen days since we made 
the Falkland Islands, so that we were from thirteen to fifteen 
days weathering Cape Horn, whi'ch is not an unusual length of 
time, and had our vessel been a good ship of three or four hun- 
dred tons, we should have suffered nothing in comparison 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 139 

with what we did undergo, in a deep loaded, pilot-boat 
schooner, of one hundred and forty tons, leaking badly. From 
the 10th of February to the 16th, we generally had light and 
variable winds from the northward and westward, so that we 
made but slow progress during the week, and nothing worth 
recording occurred. 

Feb. \7th. — This day commenced with light breezes from 
the S. W., and fine weather. During the night, in a squall, a 
small fish was washed on board. It weighed before it was 
dressed about half a pound, and in appearance was not unlike 
a brook trout, except that it had a greenish color. I directed 
the cook to prepare it for my breakfast, and told him to fry it 
with a few slices of salt pork. At breakfast, I divided the fish 
between my passenger, the chief mate and myself. We all 
ate the fish with a good relish, and returned on deck ; but very 
soon after, we were all taken sick : the mate was seized with 
violent vomiting, and became death-like pale and languid, — 
The passenger was also sick, but not so much so as the mate. 
I was not very ill, but felt a burning sensation in my mouth 
and throat for several hours afterwards. Upon examining the 
scales and intestines of the fish, and the knife with which it 
was cleaned, we found them all of a deep greenish color, indi- 
cating that the fish must have been very poisonous. What it 
was I know not. It is remarkable that one of so small a size 
could poison three persons. 

During the remainder of this day we had light breezes 
from the W. and fine weather. We only made about 100 
miles on our course through these twenty-four hours ; at noon 
our lat. by obs. was 47° 56/ S., long. 78° 17' W. 

From the 17th of February, to the 22nd of the same 
month, we had light winds from the southward and westward, 
and generally good weather ; we steered to the northward 
We were daily getting the weather more mild and pleasant, as 
we approached the lower latitudes. We met with nothing 
worth remarking during the last five days. We were now in 
lat. 38° 45' S., long. 79° 29' W. 



140 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

Feb. 23rd. — We had fresh breezes from the S. W". and fine 
weather throughout these twenty-four hours, and made 166 
miles distance to the northward. Lat. by obs. at noon 36° 0' 
S., long, per chron. 79° 34' West. 

Feb. lith. — This day commenced with fine fresh breezes 
from the southward, and very pleasant weather, which we sen- 
sibly enjoyed after getting through those tempestuous regions 
into the bright and gentle Pacific Ocean, which daily became 
more and more mild and tranquil. At 8 o'clock in the morn- 
ing we made the island of Massafuero bearing N. N. W., about 
eight leagues distant. At 11 o'clock a. m. it bore west, three 
leagues distant. This island lies in lat. 33° 45' S., long. 80° 
38' W. It is a high, abrupt, rugged looking place about fifteen 
or twenty miles long and perhaps five or six broad. The 
shores are very steep, and I believe it is only accessible on the 
N. W. side in a little bay, where boats can land in good wea- 
ther. It has no harbor, notwithstanding it was formerly a 
famous island for taking seal. Some twenty-five or thirty 
years ago, several good voyages were made by ships from New 
England, which took seal skins from this island to Canton in 
China, where they disposed of them, and returned to the 
United States, richly laden with teas and other China goods. 
One of these voyages was made by a ship called the Nep- 
tune, commanded by Captain Daniel T. Green (in which 
were two young men belonging to my native town, from 
whom I obtained this information). This ship was owned in 
New Haven, Connecticut, and took from this island fifty thou- 
sand seal skins and sold them in Canton for $2 each, and 
thence returned to New- York in the year 1799, with a cargo 
of teas, silk goods, nankeens, &c. The owners and crew 
cleared by the voyage about $100,000. 

This trade was carried on for several years very advanta- 
geously, until at length all the seal were killed or driven away 
from the island. The sealing ships were then compelled to 
search for a new field, in distant seas and on lonely desert 
islands, where the seal had never been disturbed by man. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 141 

When they first commenced kiUing seal at Massafuero, the 
animals were so tame and gentle that thousands were killed 
with clubs. These poor animals, unconscious of the danger, 
made no attempt to escape ; but in a few years after they be- 
came so knowing and shy, that it was difficult to kill them, 
except by stratagem. I have subsequently seen them in dif- 
ferent places along the coast of Peru, and found them so ex- 
tremely wild and timid that they would plunge into the water 
when approached, and at this time it is very difficult to kill 
them, even with spears and muskets. 

This day we also saw and passed by Juan Fernandez. 
This island is not so high as Massafuero, but is more fertile 
and productive. It lies in latitude 33° 46' S., longitude 79° 6' 
W. It belongs to Chili, and is about 400 miles west of Valpa- 
raiso. It has a tolerable harbor on the south side, and has 
been used lately by the Chilian Government as a sort of Bot- 
any Bay for state prisoners. It has become a place of general 
hiterest to the world from its having been made the locality of 
Robinson Crusoe's adventures, by De Foe. 

It was now one hundred days since we left New York, 
and we had still more than 1000 miles to sail before we could 
reach Lima, but as we expected to get into the S. E. trade 
winds in a day or two from this time, I anticipated the remain- 
der of the passage with pleasure. 

February 2bth. — Throughout these twenty-four hours, we 
had fine breezes from the southward, and very pleasant 
weather. We were now sailing with a fair wind, with all our 
light sails set. Our little schooner was well adapted to these 
smooth seas and gentle breezes ; we made 190 miles during the 
last twenty-four hours, and were at noon in latitude 30° 23' S., 
longitude 80° 28' W. 

February 26th. — Fresh breezes from the S. E., and clear, 
pleasant weather throughout these twenty-four hours. We 
had now taken the regular S. E. trades. It was delightful to 
sail before the whid in this mild climate and smooth sea 
(which is so appropriately called the Pacific Ocean), after hav- 



142 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

ing been buffeted and tossed about off Cape Horn so long in 
so small a vessel. During the last twenty- four hours our little 
vessel made 200 miles with perfect ease, and almost without 
shifting a single sail. Lat. by obs. at noon 27° 4' S., long. 80° 
28' W. 

From the 26th of February to the 5th of March, we had a 
continuation of the S. E. trade winds, and fine pleasant weath- 
er, running constantly on our direct course, and daily making 
from 150 to 200 miles. 

Our friendly birds, which had constantly followed us for the 
last fifty-six days, from the coast of Brazil and round Cape 
Horn, still kept about us. They were not so constantly near 
our vessel as before we came down into these mild latitudes, 
but they made little excursions and then returned. I some- 
times missed them for an hour or two, and feared, in two or 
three instances, that they had entirely left us and would no 
more return to cheer us, but to my agreeable surprise they 
always came, and were at this time within a few yards of our 
stern, and appeared attached to our little bark and to the hands 
that occasionally fed them. They were indeed a great source 
of entertainment, and their fidelity was a constant theme of 
conversation and interest to us. 

March 5th, 1822. — This day commenced with light winds 
from the S. E., and, as usual, fine, clear weather. At 4 o'clock 
in the afternoon we made the Island of Lorenzo, bearing about 
N. E., 25 miles distant. At 8 in the evening we got near the 
island. It being too late to run into port, I concluded to 
stand off and on under its lee, and wait until daylight to run 
in and anchor. 

March 6th, — We came to anchor near the forts at Callao— 
the seaport of Lima — all well, after a passage of 110 days from 
New- York. 

It was not until we came to anchor that our little guardian 
birds left us and flew out of the harbor. 

We found Callao and Lima in the hands of the patriots (as 
the natives of the country were called), and that the Spanish 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONEK SEA-SERPENT. 143 

army had retreated to the interior ; of course, the blockade was 
raised, and the object of my voyage in a great measure de- 
feated. 

I have before stated, that we purchased this Httle, fast-sail- 
ing vessel, in order to evade the blockade by superior sailing, 
otherwise it would have been more advantageous to the owners 
to have bought a more burthensome vessel at a less cost, and 
far more comfortable for me to perform a voyage round Cape 
Horn in such an one, than it was in a small pilot-boat 
schooner. 

After entering my vessel and going through the necessary 
forms at Callao, I forthwith proceeded up to Lima, and pre- 
sented my letters of introduction to several gentlemen, who 
were merchants residing in that city, and was not long in 
making an arrangement with Don Francisco X. Iscue, a re- 
spectable merchant, to take charge of my business, and act as 
my general agent and consignee. Senor Iscue was a native of 
Old Spain, but was married to a lady born in Lima. He had 
an interesting family, and was an honest, worthy man, and a 
very correct merchant. Through this gentleman I disposed of 
most of that part of my cargo which was at all adapted to the 
market, such as provisions, and a part of my manufactured 
goods. All the butter sold at $1 per lb. Flour was at this 
time selling at $30 per barrel. Some articles of my cargo sold 
at an enormous profit, while many others would not bring prime 
cost. 

Soon after my arrival at Callao, the ship America^ Captain 
De Koven, of New- York, arrived with a full cargo of flour. I 
believe he brought about 3500 barrels, which were sold at a 
very great profit. To Capt. De Koven I sold my quicksilver 
at invoice price, which amounted to about $3500. 

As all communication was cut ofif between Lima and the 
interior, I was unable to dispose of the quicksilver at any price, 
except to Capt. De Koven. He was bound to Canton, and 
took the article at invoice price to dispose of it in China. I 
subsequently lent him $11,500 in dollars (which, together with 



14.4 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

the quicksilver, amounted to $15,000). and took his bill on the 
owners of the America, in New- York, .for the amount at sixty 
days sight. The owners of the ship were Messrs. Hoyt and 
Tom, EUsha Tibbets, and Stephen Whitney. 

I soon had all my cargo transported to Lima, and in about 
twenty days after my arrival sold the schooner tSea- Serpent, 
for ten thousand five hundred dollars. Such goods as I could 
not dispose of at private sale, I sold at public auction ; and on 
the 6th of June, 1822, closed the accounts of the voyage, and 
I am sorry to add, made little or nothing for my owners. My 
own private adventure sold tolerably well ; and what, with my 
wages, commissions, etc., I made for myself what is called a 
saving voyage. 

I waited about a fortnight for a passage to Panama, but 
was unable to obtain one. On the 15th of June, I was offered 
the command of the fine Baltimore-built brig "Z>icA:," burthen 
207 tons, and only two years old. This vessel belonged to the 
Italian gentleman who came out as a passenger with me in 
the Sea-Serpent. He was desirous of employing the Dick in 
the coasting trade, on the western coast of Chili and Peru. I 
was also glad of employment for a few months, until the sickly 
season had passed away in Panama and Chagres, (having de- 
cided to return to the United States by the way of Panama and 
across the Isthmus of Darien to Chagres.) The Italian was 
an honest man, but, not having been bred a merchant, relied 
on me to manage the voyage of his brig. 

After I had disposed of the Sea-Serpent, I paid off the 
mates and seamen, andallowed each of them two months' ex- 
tra pay, according to law, and then procured nearly all of them 
situations on board of other vessels. Both mates, when I left 
Callao, were pleasantly situated as officers, on board of 
English vessels, coasting between Chili and Peru ; and the 
seamen got good berths and generous wages ; so that none of 
my crew were left in distress, o'r unprovided with employ- 
ment. 

As Mr. B. theowner of the brig had decided to proceed with her 



VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 145 

down the coast of Peru, to Triixillo and Pagusraayo, and there 
purchase a cargo of sugar, rice, and such other articles of pro- 
vision as were then much wanted in Lima, I lost no time in 
shipping officers and seamen, and getting ready for the voyage, 
Avhich under ordinary circumstances would require about two 
months to perform. On the 28th of July we were ready for 
sea. 

Callao is the seaport of Lima, and lies in lat. 12° 2' S., long. 
77° 4' AV., seven or eight miles west of Lima. Callao is 
strongly protected by forts, castles and walls, with broad and 
wide exterior ditches. To a stranger the castles at first view 
appear like a small walled city. Outside of these vast and 
expensive fortifications, there is a considerable number of 
houses, magazines and shops, generally lying along the bay, 
and in some places extending back, perhaps, a short quarter of 
a mile. 

This village is called Callao, and the fortifications are 
called the Castles of Callao. The road between Lima and 
the port is level and good. The port of Callao is formed by a 
bay which is sheltered by its own points and the Island of St. 
Lorenzo, which lies at the south entrance, about eight or ten 
miles distant from the Castles at Callao. As I have no map 
or book before me, and write entirely from memory, I may 
perhaps make some little error in the distance, but not in the 
main facts. Callao Bay is a fine, broad, clear expanse of wa- 
ter, and deep enough for a line-of-battle ship in almost any 
part of it, and on the whole, I should pronounce it a very safe 
and good harbor, particularly in this mild and gentle climate, 
where there are no violent gales or tempests. In this respect 
the inhabitants of this coast are favored beyond any part of 
the world I have ever visited. The oldest men in this coun- 
try know nothing of a storm or a violent gale of wind ; so 
uniform is the weather, that the Fahr. thermometer in Lima 
rarely varies more than six or eight degrees. It generally 
ranges between 75° and 80°. Although it is sometimes hot at 
noonday, the nights are cool and comfortable, owing to the 
10 



146 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

snow and ice in the mountains not very far distant in the in- 
terior. When Peru was a colony of Spain, Lima was a popu- 
lous and comparatively rich city ; but in consequence of 
continued wars and revolutions it has become poor. For the 
last eight years there had been a constant demand for young 
men to join the armies, which has rendered the population 
less than it was previously. The city of Lima, the capital of 
Peru, lies about seven miles from the sea, and is pleasantly 
situated at the foot of the Cordilleras. The little river Rimac 
takes its rise in the mountains and runs through the city, and 
supplies the inhabitants with an abundance of excellent water. 
Over this stream there is a fhie stone bridge with six arches. 
On this bridge and in recesses are placed seats for the citizens, 
which renders it a favorite resort for the elite of the city. It 
is said that before the revolution, Lima contained about eighty 
thousand inhabitants ; at the time of which I write it num- 
bers only about sixty thousand, exclusive of the military, 
who I should judge were about eight or ten thousand. There 
are several large churches and public buildings, which have 
rather an imposing appearance. 

The Cathedral in the centre of the city, which forms the 
east side of the Plaza Maza, is the grand resort of all the bet- 
ter classes of people, and is a pleasant place. In consequence 
of the earthquakes to which Lima is subject, the houses are 
generally built low, not often more than one or two stories 
high, and of very slight materials, namely, dried clay and 
reeds, with a light coat of plaster, and then whitewashed or 
painted. I believe that if it should blow and rain a few hours 
as it does sometimes in the Bay of Honduras, that the whole 
city would be washed away ; but fortunately for the inhabit- 
ants, it never rains in the city. The high and long chain of 
Cordilleras in the interior, acts as a perfect conductor for the 
clouds and storms. There only the clouds break and the rain 
falls in torrents. It therefore becomes necessary, notwith- 
standing the heavy dews, to irrigate the fields and gardens in 
the neighborhood of Lima. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 147 

I think the city is about two miles long, and one and a 
half broad. Through the principal streets water is conducted 
from the Rimac. This tends very much to cool and cleanse 
the town, which, if blessed with peace and a good government, 
woald be a very delightful city, bating an occasional alarm of 
earthquakes, 

A few weeks before my arrival, the Castles at Callao and 
the city of Lima, were vacated by the Spanish army and taken 
possession of by General St. Martin and Lord Cochraij ; the 
former at the head of 8,000 or 10,000 Chilian and Peruvian 
troops, and the latter, the Admiral, commanding the Chilian 
squadron of two or three frigates and several smaller vessels. 
I believe there was very little fighting, but a kind of capitula- 
tion was agreed upon between the parties. The Spanish army 
marched out and retreated into the interior, when the patriot 
army took possession with little or no bloodshed. Still the 
inhabitants of Lima were, during the time I remained there, 
in constant dread of a return of the Spanish army. The city 
and its dependencies were daily agitated and unsettled, and 
the whole country was convulsed with war. The Government 
was almost daily making forced loans and contributions upon 
the inhabitants, Avhich caused them to secrete their money for 
fear of its being taken from them. Every fine horse belonging 
to private individuals was seized for the use of the army ; 
even the horses of foreigners were sometimes taken, but they 
were generally returned after a suitable remonstrance to the 
commanding officer. 

This has been rather a long digression, and I will again 
return to my narrative. 

The brig Dick^ under my command, was ready for sea on 
the 28th of July. Before sailing, I wrote the particulars of the 
voyage to my owners, and also to my family up to this date, 
and the next day sailed for Truxillo, with the owner of the 
brig on board. 

It was 6 o'clock in the evening when we got mider 
way ; we had light winds from the S. E., and foggy weather 



148 VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

during the night, and ran to the leeward under easy sail until 
daylight. 

July 30^/i. — During the first and middle part of these 
twenty-four hours we had a continuation of light winds and 
thick weather. After running about fifty-six miles log dis- 
tance, it lighted up, when we found ourselves in mid channel 
between the Islands of Mazorque and Pelada, which are about 
two leagues asunder. 

No. observation of the sun, it being obscured by fog. 

21st. — First and middle part of twenty-four hours light 
breezes from the S. E. with a continuation of cloudy weather. 
At 11 o'clock in the forenoon, we passed a schooner beating 
up the coast. We set our ensign, and indicated our wish to 
speak him, but the unsocial fellow would not shorten sail, and 
appeared to avoid us. At noon saw a ship running down to 
the westward. We continued to run along shore to the north- 
ward, and made about 100 miles by the log. At noon our lat. 
by obs. was 10° 29' S., long, about 77° 50' W. 

Aug. Xst. — At 1 o'clock in the afternoon we saw the land, 
bearing E. S. E. eight or ten leagues distant. We had light 
breezes and calm weather all the twenty-four hours, and only 
made ninety-six miles, running down along the land, generally 
at a distance of ten leagues. Lat. by obs. at noon 9° 14' S. 

■Aug. 2d. — First and middle part of these twenty-four 
hours, light airs from the S. E. and clear, pleasant weather. 
At 12, midnight, hove to and lay by until 3 a. m., daylight, 
when we made sail. At 5 in the morning, saw the island of 
Guanap, bearing S. E. about four miles distant. We then 
hauled in shore. Brisk breezes at S. E. and fine, clear, plea- 
sant weather. At 10 o'clock in the forenoon, the city of 
Truxillo bore east, and in half an hour afterwards we came 
to anchor at Guanchaco, in seven fathoms water; the church 
at that place bearing E. by N. about a league distant. This 
is an Indian village situated on the beach of the sea, and is 
the seaport of Truxillo. It lies in lat. 8° 8' S., and long, about 
79° 0' west of London. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 149 

I should perhaps rather have called Guanchaco the road- 
stead or anchormg ground of Truxillo, for it certainly canno 
properly be called a harbor. It is open to the broad ocean, and 
has nothing to shelter ships that touch or trade on this part o 
the coast. The Indians who live in the village of Guanchaco 
are expert boatmen, and with their own boats transport all the 
goods and merchandise landed at that port for Truxillo, or ex- 
ported therefrom. They are perhaps 500 to 800 in number, 
are governed by their own alcalde and under officers, and live 
almost entirely by boating and fishing. The ships that touch 
here cannot with any safety use their own boats, and always 
employ the boats or canoes of the Indians, the surf being too 
high to venture off and on without the aid of these men, who 
are almost amphibious. They are trained to swimming from 
their infancy, and commence with a small "Balsa," in the surf 
within the reefs, and by degrees, as they grow older and larger, 
venture through the surf, and out upon the broad ocean. 
These " Balsas," are made of reeds bound firmly together, 
with a hole near the after end, for one person ; the forward 
end is tapered, and turned up like a skate or a Tutkish shoe. 
Those for children are perhaps from five to eight feet long, and 
those used by the men are generally about ten or twelve feet 
long, and about as large in circumference as a small sized bar- 
rel. An Indian placed in one of these Balsas with a paddle bids de- 
fiance to the roaring billows and breaking surf. I have seen the 
men go off through it in one of these reedy boats, when it seemed 
impossible that a human being could live in the surf, and have 
with great anxiety observed them at times when a high rolling 
sea threatened to overwhelm them, watch the approaching roll- 
er and duck their heads down close to the reed boat, and let 
the billow pass over them, like a seal or a wild duck, and force 
their way with perfect confidence through the surf, where no 
white man would for a moment dare to venture. One of these 
men would, for half a dollar, convey a letter from the shore 
through the surf, to a ship laying at anchor in the Roads, when 
no boat dare attempt it. I was told that for a small sum of 



150 VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

money, one of these Indians would take a valuable piece of 
silk goods (secured in oiled cloth and fastened round his body) 
on shore, and deliver it to the owner perfectly dry, even in a 
dark night. The moment they land they take up the Balsa 
and place it in an upright position in the sun to drain and 
dry, and thus it is kept ready at a moment's warning for any 
employment that may offer. 

While here, I used sometimes to amuse myself with throw- 
ing small pieces of copper coin into the water, to see the Indian 
boys dive to the bottom and pick them up. I never could 
learn that any of these Indians were drowned, though the peo- 
ple of Truxillo told us of many accidents, when white men 
were drowned, in attempting to land in a high surf 

The morning we arrived at Guanchaco, there came in also 
an English ship from Lima, and anchored near our brig. — 
"Very soon after, a large launch, manned with nine Indians, 
came alongside of us, to take the captains, supercargoes, and 
passengers of both vessels on shore. As there was considera- 
ble surf on, great anxiety was expressed by the supercargoes 
and passengers, respecting the safety of landing. I had a con- 
versation with the patroon of the boat, on the subject of land- 
ing. He said that if we would commit ourselves entirely into 
his hands, there was no danger ; and that he supposed the 
gentlemen would be willing to pay half a dollar each, if landed 
dry and in perfect safety. This we all readily agreed to, and 
soon started for the shore. I think we were five in number; 
and as we approached the shore, a few yards outside the 
surf, the sea was terrific, and breaking "feather white." Some 
of the gentlemen were in favor of returning, but were soon 
overruled by the majority. I attentively watched the eye of 
the patroon, who appeared cool and collected, and, by his 
manner, inspired me with confidence in his ability to perform 
what he had undertaken. He -requested the gentlemen who 
feared the result, not to survey the scene, but to lie down in 
the stern-sheets of the boat, and thus give him room to man- 
age the boat according to his own judgment. At this mo- 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 151 

ment, I saw a man on the beach, on the watch for a favorable 
instant for us to pull for the shore. The man on the shore 
and our patroon made signals with a handkerchief on a cane. 
The boat's head was kept off shore until the signal Avas given 
and answered, to dash through the surf In an instant the 
boat was wheeled round with her head towards the land, 
when every man pulled to the utmost of his strength, and in a 
few minutes we were safe within the breakers. These strong, 
bra^i^ fellows, then took each a passenger on his back, and 
carried him ashore in great triumph. We were all so sensibly 
touched with the conduct of these men, that many dollars 
were voluntarily thrown into their hats and caps; and a thrill 
of gratitude passed over my mind, that will remain with me 
till the hour of my death. We call these people savages, and 
say that they are incapable of great actions. I defy the white 
man to contend with them in the management of a boat in the 
surf, on the sea-shore. 

The alcalde furnished us with horses, and we were soon 
on the road to the city of Truxillo, which is pleasantly situated 
on level ground, about eight or ten miles from the landing at 
Guanchaco. I think it contained, at this time, about eight 
or ten thousand inhabitants. There are two or three con- 
siderable churches ; many of the houses are well built, and 
have a comfortable appearance. The ground and gai-dens 
around the city are well cultivated, and produce abundance 
of excellent fruit ; and the whole aspect of the town and its 
vicinity is extremely pleasant. Although this place is located 
so near the equator, the climate is not uncomfortably warm. 
There is, however, a great drawback to a residence in this 
place, in the frequency of earthquakes. I was told by some 
of the most respectable citizens of Truxillo, that the town had 
been two or three times nearly destroyed by earthquakes, and 
that the great earthquakes were generally periodical, — say at 
intervals of forty years— that some thirty years had now pass- 
ed away without a very destructive one, and that they had 
serious fears that they should experience another terrible con- 
yulsion before many years should elapse. 



152 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONEE SEA-SERPENT. 

We found here no sugars or other produce to purchase, 
nor could we hear of any of consequence in the neighboring 
towns to leeward. Two vessels from Lima had lately been 
here, and to the adjacent towns, and bought up all the inha- 
bitants had to dispose of. 

After remaining here a few days, my owner and myself 
returned to Guanchaco, without making any purchases, ex- 
cept some poultry and fruit for sea-stores. 

On our way back to the landing, we passed over very ex- 
tensive ruins, which appeared at least two miles in length : 
they were the remains of clay walls, and various fragments of 
what had once been an extensive city of the Incas. We saw 
also a large mound near Guanchaco, It was 50 to 80 feet 
high, and, perhaps, from 150 to 200 feet long. These mounds 
were no doubt made by the ancient Peruvians, and are found 
all along this coast. Some of them are very high and large, 
others quite small. I have seen a great variety of Indian re- 
lics, that were dug out from this mound, such as earthen 
drinking vessels, made to resemble cats, dogs, monkeys, and 
other animals ; others, again, were made exactly to resemble 
a fish, with a handle on its back, and its mouth open to drink 
from. These articles were well executed, and of very fine 
clay. The present race of Peruvians are altogether incapable 
of manufacturing any thing of the kind equal to these ancient 
Indian relics. I have no doubt, if these mounds were fairly 
excavated, that a great variety of valuable Indian relics could 
be found, which are now hidden from the world. 

We arrived at the landing on Thursday, August 8th, in the 
afternoon, and found too much surf on the beach to attempt 
going on board until the next morning, and as there was no 
hotel or tavern in Guanchaco, we took up our abode for the 
night with the alcalde or chief magistrate of the village. 
This person was an intelligent Indian, who had in his early 
life made several voyages to Manilla, and appeared familiar 
with all parts of the western coast of Peru. He seemed to be 
a sensible, judicious person, and managed and governed the 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 153 

people of Guanchaco in a quiet, paternal manner. During 
the evening he entertained us with a narration of his voyages 
from Peru to the Philippine Islands, when Peru was a colony 
of Spain. He also related to us many anecdotes of his race, 
the ancient and rightful owners of this bloodstained soil. 

The high mounds all along this part of the coast appear 
to be monuments of their wrongs and sufferings, and call to 
mind the days when Pizarro, with his band of merciless ad- 
venturers, sacrificed thousands and tens of thousands of these 
innocent worshippers of the sun, robbed them of their gold, 
and finally despoiled them of home and country. Even to 
the present day, these poor people are not exempt from severe 
persecutions in the way of taxation and oppression. They 
are now forcibly taken from their quiet homes to fill the ranks 
led by military chiefs, and thus compelled to mingle in the 
deadly strife of contending parties. Whether the one or the 
other governs, it is to them only a change of masters, for they 
cannot be supposed to feel any interest for, or sympathy with, 
either of them. And thus it has ever been in this wicked 
and unjust world, the strong * triumph over and oppress the 
weak. 

The good alcalde had supper prepared for us, and placed 
matresses and blankets on the tables for Mr. B. and myself. 
Previous to retiring to rest I took a stroll round the house, and 
saw, beneath a shed or back piazza, three of the alcalde's 
children, little boys, 1 should judge between ten years old 
and three, lying asleep on a raw dry bullock's hide, covered 
only with another. The air was chilly, and it struck me at 
the moment as inhuman treatment to expose children thus to 
the open air without other covering than a raw hide. I imme- 
diately inquired of our friendly host why he thus exposed his 
children. His answer was, that it was their general custom 
to harden them and give them good constitutions ; that he him- 
self was brought up in the same manner ; and being thus 
inured to the cold while young, they felt no inconvenience 
from it in after life. 



154 VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONER SEA-SEEPENT. 

In the morning the sea was smooth, and the surf not bad. 
After taking leave of the pohte and friendly alcalde, we left 
Guanchaco in the Indian launch, got safe on board, and at 3 
o'clock on the 9th of August, weighed anchor and made sail 
for Payta. 

After getting our anchor on board, we found the stock 
broken in two pieces, and thus rendered unfit for use. We 
steered to the westward along shore with a good S. E. trade 
wmd, and pleasant weather. Through the night we had 
moderate breezes and a continuation of tine weather. At 5 
o'clock in the morning, daylight, saw the Islands of Lobos de 
Mer and Lobos de Terra, bearing S. W., three leagues distant. 
They are of moderate height, and without trees or cultivation. 
Towards noon the winds became light, inclining to a calm. 
Lat. by obs. 6° 32' S., long, about 81° W. 

On the 10th of August, we had light winds and fine wea- 
ther, and made but little progress on our course during the day, 
still steering down along shore with the land in sight. 

Aug. 11th, — This day, like the last, commenced with light 
airs and calm, warm weather. At 8 p. m., Point de Ajuga bore 
E., two leagues distant. During the night, light airs and fine 
weather. At daylight, saw Point de Payta, bearing N. E., 
eight leagues distant ; at 8, got near the Point, and steered up 
the Bay of Payta. At 11, a breeze sprung up from the S. E., 
when we ran up the bay and came to anchor at noon, in nine 
fathoms water, directly opposite the town. We had little or 
no cargo to dispose of, and there was no freight to be obtained, 
consequently we remained here only twenty-four hours, and 
got ready for sea. 

Payta is situated on a fine bay of the same name, and is 
the principal seaport of Puira, a very considerable town in the 
interior, some ten or fifteen leagues distant from this place. 

The town of Payta is located very near the bea(?h, and the 
whole surrounding country for some miles distant is a barren, 
sandy desert, not even affording fresh water. The inhabitants 
are supplied with this article, brought from a little river run- 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 165 

ning into the head of the bay, at a distance of six or eight 
miles. The town probably contains about 1,500 to 2,000 inhab- 
itants of all colors ; a great portion, however, are Indians, and a 
mixture of the Spanish and Indian races. 

The houses are generally built of cane and straw, with 
thatched roofs. It is a very healthy place, and the people, 
who are generally poor, live to a great age. It lies in lat. 5° 
3' S., long. 81° W. of London, and is one of the best harbors 
on the western coast of Peru. It is a great resort for American 
and English whale ships. The bay of Payta is large and 
clean, and I believe the whalers send their boats to the little 
river at its head, and soon get a bountiful supply of pure, 
wholesome Avater ; at the same time the ships are safe and quiet 
while they remain in this capacious bay. 

At 2 o'clock in the afternoon of the 12th, with a fine fresh 
S. E, trade wind, we sailed out of this bay, bound for Guayaquil. 
At 6 p. M., got abreast of Point de Parina, about a league off 
shore ; at the same time saw Cape Blanco bearing N., half E., 
twenty-four miles distant. During the night we had fresh 
breezes, with a little rain. At 6 a. m. saw the land, bearing 
from S. W. to N. E., five or six leagues distant. Lat. by obs. 
at noon, 3° 37' S. At this time Point Los Picos bore S. E., 
distant about four leagues. 

Aug. I3th. — This day commenced with light airs fron the 
S., with very warm weather. At 4 p. m., passed near the 
American whale-ship Rosalie, of Warren, R. I., Avhich was 
lying at anchor, near Tumbes. This ship had been thirteen 
months absent from the United States, and had only taken 200 
barrels of oil. 

At 8 p. M., we came to anchor in five fathoms' water, near 
the mouth of the Tumbes river, the small Island of Santa 
Clara bearing N. by W., distant about four leagues. Light 
wind at N. E. Here we lay at anchor all night. 

Aug". lAth. — This day commenced with light breezes from 
the N. E., and fine weather. At 8 a. m., got under way with 
a light wind from the N. W. by N. The tide now commenced 



156 VOYAGE m THE SCHOONEE SEA-SEKPENT. 

making up the river, which enabled us to gain ground, beating 
up with its assistance until noon, when the wind became more 
favorable, from the W. S. W. At 3 p. m., got abreast of the 
west end of the Island of Puna ; pleasant breezes and fine 
weather. 

At 7 p. M., we came to anchor in four and a half fathoms 
of water, the east end of Puna then bearing N. N. W., four 
leagues distant. It being dark, and having no pilot on board, 
I judged it imprudent to make sail, and therefore remained at 
anchor during the night. 

Aug. 15th. — This day commenced with clear, pleasant 
weather, with light winds and variable. At 6 a. m., received 
a pilot on board, and at 8 got under way with the flood 
tide and stood up the river, which had now become more nar- 
row, but was still deep and not diflicult to ascend. The banks 
along the river on both sides are low, but the land rises as you 
recede from the river into the interior to immense mountains, 
many of which are volcanic. We continued to beat up the 
stream, and at 6 p. m., just before dark, came to anchor in the 
river opposite the city of Guayaquil in six fathoms of water, a 
short quarter of a mile off the town. 

It is about forty miles from Guayaquil to the Island of Puna, 
where the river pilots reside, and it is at this place that the 
river fairly commences ; for below Puna, it may more properly 
be called a wide bay or gulf opening into the sea. 

We found lying at Guayaquil some fifteen or twenty sail of 
vessels of different nations, four or five of which were American 
ships and brigs, among them the ship Canton, of New- York, 
and the brig Canton, of Boston. The names of the others I 
do not now recollect. 

After lying here a few days, undecided what to do with, or 
how to employ, the brig, my owner, on the 22d of August, 
sold his vessel for $14,000, to John O'Sullivan, Esq., captain 
and supercargo of the ship Canton. Captain O'Sullivan gave 
the command of the brig to Lieutenant Hudson, now Captain 
Hudson, of the U. S. Navy. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 157 

He loaded her in this port for a voyage to Upper Peru. At 
this time there were lying at Guayaquil two large Calcutta 
ships loaded with Indian goods. From these ships Captain 
O'SuUivan, purchased the greater part of a cargo for the Dick. 
The balance was made up of cocoa, and a few other articles. 
Myself, officers and crew were now paid off, and left the ves- 
sel in charge of the new owners. 

I was anxious to return home to New- York, and of course 
chd not regret being sold out of employment. I had long been 
acquainted with Capt. O'SuUivan, and was glad to meet him 
here. I also met with another acquaintance in the person of 
Francis Coffin, Esq., supercargo of the brig Canton. 

Mr. Coffin got a fine freight of cocoa for Cadiz. I think 
it amounted to $17,-500. I was glad to have good fortune at- 
tend him, as he was and is, if alive, an honorable gentlemanly 
man, of sterling worth and high integrity. 

I was now living on shore, anxiously waiting a passage for 
Panama, to return home across the Isthmus. Capt. O'SuUi- 
van had with him three or four young gentlemen, belonging 
to New- York. These young men joined the ship Canton, in 
New- York, as ordinary seamen, but not liking a sea-life were 
anxious to return home. Capt. O'SuUivan gave two of them 
liberty to leave the ship, but would not supply them with 
money. He told me, however, that if I thought proper to take 
them along with me, that he had no doubt their friends in 
New- York would refund the money I should expend in pay- 
ing their passages back to the U. S. ; and as they were here 
destitute, I consented to take them, pay their passages and 
other necessary expenses to New- York, and rely upon the 
honor of their families to refund me the amount when we 
should arrive there. 

After waiting a fejv days, we heard of a small coasting 
vessel which was to leave this place for Panama in a few 
days. She was a^fuU-rigged brig, of about twenty-five tons 
burthen, with a captain, boatswain, and eight men before the 
mast. A vessel of the same size in the U. S. would have been 



158 VOYAGE m THE SCHOONEE SEA-SERPENT. 

sloop-rigged, and provided with a captain, one man, and a boy. 
In this vessel I agreed for a passage to Panama for myself 
and my two young American friends. This brig was called 
" Los dos HermanosP There were two other (Guayaquil gen- 
tlemen) passengers, besides myself and the before-named 
young men, who agreed to sleep on deck ; as I paid one hun- 
dred dollars . for my passage, I was supplied with a berth in 
the cabin, if it deserved the name, for in fact it was more like 
a dog's kennel than a cabin. It had no windows or sky-light, 
and was nearly filled with bags and boxes, and had only two 
berths, and no table. The two passengers belonging to Guay- 
aquil, occupied one of the berths, and I the other. 

Guayaquil lies in lat. 2° 12' S., long. 79° 42' W., and is 
about 150 miles to the southward of Quito. The city of Guay- 
aquil lies on the right bank of the river, and contains about 
20,000' inhabitants, and although built of wood, a great portion 
of the houses are large and comfortable, and well adapted to 
the climate. Several of the public buildings are spacious and 
firmly built with tiled roofs, among which are the custom- 
house, college, and hospital. The city is located on low, level 
ground, and of course difficult to drain, which at certain sea- 
sons of the year renders it very unhealthy. The educated 
classes of society are polite and hospitable. The ladies dress 
in good taste, and are decidedly the handsomest women on the 
western coast of this continent ; in fact, the beauty of the Guay- 
aquil ladies is proverbial. The lower classes are a desperate 
looking race. They are a mixture of the Spaniard, Indian, 
and Negro, and appear ripe for any kind of villany or dis- 
order. 

The principal wealth of Guayaquil proceeds from the culti- 
vation of cocoa, which is their staple article. They also 
export timber, boards, hides, and somq tobacco. The cocoa 
plantations lie on both sides of the river for several miles above 
the city. It is brought to Guayaquil upo* floating rafts of 
light buoyant wood called, in this country, Balzas. These 
rafts are in general use for all kinds of transportation. Many 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 159 

of the poorer classes live upon them. They float up and 
down the river with perfect ease and safety. In them the 
cocoa is taken on board of the ships that load here. On these 
Balzas they erect tents and awnings, and thus protect them- 
selves and their cargoes from the sun and rain. Along the 
river and thence down to the sea-coast, the land is very flat, and 
in the rainy seasons a great portion of the low grounds are 
inundated ; consequently the inhabitants in such places build 
their houses on large timbers, or posts, some eight or ten feet 
above the ground, and find it necessary to have ladders to get 
into them. When flooded in the rainy seasons, they pass 
from house to house in boats. 

In this warm latitude, where the sun is nearly vertical, the 
weather is generally very hot, and the vegetation extremely 
luxuriant aind rank ; consequently none but those born and 
reared in this climate can reside in these low lands on the 
banks of the rivers and creeks, with any degree of safety. 

To the eastward, some ten or fifteen leagues in the interior, I 
beheld lofty mountains rising one above another, until at last the 
eye rested on the majestic Chimborazo. There it stands, a 
mountain on the top of other mountains, terminating in a lofty 
sugar-loaf, snow-capped peak, alone, in its own grand and un- 
rivalled sublimity ; and although some seventy-five or eighty 
miles from Guayaquil, it appears as though it were within a 
very short distance. This grand sight, however, is not ^an 
every-day occurrence. On the contrary, one may remain at 
Guayaquil for several days, and even weeks, without getting a 
good view of the peak. When the clouds are dispelled, 
you behold the whole mountain from the base to the top in all 
its beauty and grandeur. The sight of this sublime object 
richly rewards the traveller for the expense and privation of 
coming to this country. 

While I remained here the weather was extremely warm, 
and one can easily imagine that to be supplied with ice and 
ice-cream must have been a most acceptable luxury, and so 
we found it. As often as once tr twice a week I saw a flag 



160 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

hoisted at a favorite cafe as a signal for ice and ice-cream for 
sale, announcing at the same time that some one had arrived 
from the mountains in the interior with a supply of this article, 
which was son converted into excellent cream. 

Guayaquil is supplied with great quantities of excellent 
fruit, common to tropical regions. Pine-apples are very abun- 
dant and cheap, as are oranges, bananas and plantains. Water 
and musk melons are also cheap and plenty. The beef and 
mutton, as in most other hot climates, is indifferent, and the 
beef appears even worse than it otherwise would do, in conse- 
quence of the slovenly manner of cutting it up. They do not 
dress it as in other countries, but tear and cut the flesh from 
off the bone of the animal in strings, and sell it by the yard or 
" vara." As this is the first and only place in which I ever 
bought beef by the yard, I thought it worthy of no<ace in my 
narrative. 

About noon, on the 3lst of August, the captain of the brig 
" Los dos IIer??ianos" sent me word that he was ready jfor 
sea, and wished all his passengers to repair on board forthwith. 
Not having much baggage to look after, I took leave of the 
few friends I had in Guayaquil, and hurried on board. On 
our way to the brig, we passed through the market and pur- 
chased a large quantity of fruit for sea-stores. Among other 
things, I purchased some twenty or thirty large water-melons, 
which I found preferable to every kind of fruit. I never shall 
forget how gratefully refreshing we found them on a hot, 
calm morning, under a vertical sun, with the ther. at 85° above 
zero. 

We did not leave the town until 3 o'clock in the afternoon ; 
and, as the wind Avas light and variable, we drifted slowly 
down the river with the ebb tide, until about 10 o'clock, when 
it became quite dark, and we anchored for the night. Here 
again I was pleased with what to me was a novel occurrence. 
Far away to the eastward, in the ' interior, I saw a great light 
and innumerable sparks of fire, which illuminated the sky, so 
as to render the scene vivid atid beautiful. Upon inquiry, I 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 161 

found it was a burning volcano, at a great distance in the in- 
terior. It appeared to be some thirty or forty miles distant, 
while it was, in fact, perhaps fifty leagues off. 

The next morning, at daylight, September 1st, we got un- 
der way, and made a short cut to the sea, through a passage 
to the northward of the island of Puna. Our brig drew very 
little water, and we were therefore able to pass through small 
rivers and creeks where larger vessels dare not venture. 

I soon discovered that our captain was a vain, ignorant, 
superstitious man, and knew nothing of navigation. He had 
neither chart nor quadrant on board. Fortunately for us, 
however, our contramaestre, or boatswain, was a good seaman 
and an excellent pilot. He was a native of Old Spain, and 
although deficient in education, was a discreet, respectable 
man. He disciplined and managed the crew, and left little or 
nothing for the captain to do, but eat, drink, smoke, and sleep. 
The man was only an apology for a captain, and was in the 
habit of following the land along shore on his voyages be- 
tween Guayaquil and Panama ; whereby, in lieu of making a 
straight course, he prolonged his passage to double the number 
of days necessary. I had with me a quadrant and many 
charts of the western coast, from Guayaquil to Panama, on a 
large scale, and politely pointed out to him the true and straight 
course. I say politely, for I have ever found, that with the 
ignorant and superstitious of all nations, the greatest possible 
caution and delicacy must be observed when advising them, 
otherwise their self-love and jealousy take fire, and they be- 
come your enemies. 

This vulgar captain at first inclined to adhere to his own 
opinion, — said he had navigated this part of the coast for 
many years, and always with success, and was afraid of sud- 
den changes. His countrymen, the two passengers, however, 
fell in with me and persuaded him to follow my advice, and 
endeavor to shorten the distance of the passage. The two 
passengers alluded to were merchants, or shop-keepers, who 
visited Panama occasionally to purchase and sell goods, and 
11 



162 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

on their way up and down, used to touch at a small place 
called Monte Christi, to trade, and to this place we were now 
bound on our way to Panama. 

There were five passengers, — making, with officers and 
crew, a total of fifteen souls on board the " Dos Hermatios" — 
all of whom lived on deck, night and day, except the two 
Guayaquil traders and myself. The contrama^stre had the 
entire management of the vessel, and appeared to be always 
on the watch, both by night and day. The sailors were not 
divided into watches, as is the custom on board of vessels of 
other nations, but all slept in the long-boat on deck, on a dry 
ox hide, with another spread over them. Whenever it was 
necessary to make or take in sail, they were all called ; and 
when the work was done all lay down to sleep again. They 
appeared to work with alacrity, and were always ready to 
obey the boatswain without grumbling. We had been out 
but a few days before we encountered much hot, rainy wea- 
ther. At these times our situation, in the little hole of a cabin, 
was deplorable. When it rained violently, a large tarpaulin 
was spread over the companion-way to keep the cabin dry. — 
On such occasions, particularly in the night, the captain and 
the deck passengers would crawl in for shelter, and I was of- 
ten obliged to leave my berth, and struggle through the crowd 
to get a little air at the door to prevent sufibcation. 

We were provided with only two meals a day ; the first, 
called breakfast, about 11 o'clock in the forenoon, was taken 
always on deck. This meal was either a fricassee or puchero, 
with bread and a little common, low Catalonia wine. The 
other meal we generally had at four or five o'clock in the af- 
ternoon, and it was composed of about the same in quality, 
served up in one large dish placed in the centre of the quarter- 
deck. Our polite captain always helped himself first, and 
then advised everybody to do the like. The food of the sail- 
ors on the main-deck consisted of plantain and charque or 
dried beef Thus situated, we passed some days, creeping 
along at a slow pace, and making but little progress on our 
course, with variable winds,, and very hot, calm weather. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 163 

On Sunday morning, Sept. 5th, at daylight in the morning,, 
we ran into the httle bay ot Monte Christi, and came to anchor 
very near the shore, in three fathoms of water. 

This is a clean little bay, with a fine sand beach, and a 
few small houses, called ranchos and shops, at the landing. 
The town of Monte Christi is located three or four miles inland 
from the port, in an easterly direction. This lonely little har- 
bor lies in lat. 1° 1' S., long. 80° 32' W. of London. It was 
quite destitute of shipping, there being no vessel there except 
our little brig. We procured horses from the rancheros at the 
landing, and soon galloped over a pleasant road, to the town. 
It being Sunday morning, the whole town, or as the French 
say, "tout le monde," were decked out in their holiday dresses. 
Our captain and the two Guayaquil traders had planned a 
great deal of business for the day, and were very impatient to 
attend mass, that they might proceed to its execution after- 
wards. Accordingly, we left our horses at a poor little posada, 
and then hurried to the church. I went with them near the 
door, and after having excused myself for leaving them, took a 
stroll about the tOAvn. Every body appeared to be on the move 
towards the church, arrayed in gaudy dresses, of bright red 
and yellow colors. These simple people seemed as fond of 
displaying their gay attire as children decked out in their holi- 
day suits. 

After a little survey of the town, I entered a house for 
some water, when the following dialogue occurred between 
the master of the house and myself After presenting me 
with a chair and giving me a welcome reception, he said, " I 
suppose you landed this morning from the brigantine, on your 
way to Panama ?" " Yes, I did so," I replied. " The captain 
and the passengers have all gone to mass, how is it that you 
did not go also — are you not a Christian ?" I answered I was, 
but having a very imperfect knowledge of the Spanish lan- 
guage, I preferred walking about the town. I then took the 
same liberty with him, and inquired why he did not go. He 
replied that he attended early mass, and was always very at- 



164 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

tentive to his religious duties. He then questioned me on the 
religious faith and belief of my countrymen in England. I 
told him I was not from that country, l^ut from North America. 
He then called me an Anglo-Americano, and seemed to have 
a confused idea that we were the descendants of the English. 
and lived in a distant region of which very little was known, 
and inquired whether our belief and faith was the same as 
that of the English ; that he had always been told that the 
English were all heretics and unbelievers. I told him that 
the religion of the two countries was about the same, that 
neither of them were heretics or unbelievers. He expressed 
great surprise, and then asked me if we believed in "el Padre 
et Hijo y el Espiritu Santo." On my answering him in the 
affirmative, he appeared still more astonished, and said, then 
he had always been greatly deceived, that he had from his 
childhood been told by the priests and friars that the English 
were all infidels, and did not believe in the Trinity, nor yet 
dn the " Holy Mother of God, the pure and holy Virgin Mary." 
I then told him there was certainly a great difference between 
Ahe belief of his countrymen and mine, on the subject of wor- 
ship due to the Virgin Mary, and holy reverence to a great 
many saints, but that the greater part of the churches, both in 
England and North America, professed to believe in the Trin- 
ity. He appeared very well satisfied with my explanation, — 
and said he had no doubt we had been misrepresented and 
slandered ; and that he would inquire further into the subject 
from the first intelligent Englishman he should meet. 

While I am on this subject, I will relate an anecdote that 
occurred one evening at the lodgings of captain O'Sullivan, 
while I was at Guayaquil. Among other questions, the mis- 
tress of the house, a middle-aged, good looking lady, asked me 
whether there were any Jews in my country. I told her there 
were many. She then asked me what they looked like, and 
whether they had tails. I was for a moment surprised, and 
thought she was jesting, and hardly knew how to answejij — 
when she observed, that she had always been told that Jews 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 165 

were strange-looking creatures, and had long tails like cows 
lianging down behind them. She said she came to Guayaquil 
about two years before, from a village in the interior o£ Colom- 
bia, and that from her infancy she had been always told by 
the priests, that Jews had tails, and were odious, frightful- 
looking creatures. I was astonished at her simple ignorance, 
for she was not one of the lower order, but a woman of polite 
manners, and spoke the Spanish language with ease and 
grace. 

I have related these two incidents from a thousand other 
similar ones, that have come under my observation while tra- 
velling about South America, not with a view of exposing the 
ignorance of these honest, simple-hearted people, as objects of 
ridicule, but to hold up to the world the wickedness of these 
vile priests and friars, who delude and darken the minds of 
unfortunate beings, who are the subjects of their cunning 
priestcraft. In the United States we abhor the military despot 
who enslaves and chains the body ; but is not the man who 
darkens and enslaves the mind, ten times more guilty than the 
military despot ? I can overlook with some degree of patience 
a great many faults and superstitious prejudices in the unedu- 
cated and ignorant, but have very little patience or charity for 
these vile leaders of the blind, who know better than to prey 
upon the ignorance and credulity of their fellow-men, either in 
matters of church or state. The wicked policy of keeping 
mankind in ignorance, in order to profit by their want of 
knowledge, cannot but excite the indignation of him who 
loves his fellow-man. 

Monte Christi is situated on an undulating surface, moder- 
ately high, with one considerable church located on rising 
ground, in the centre of the town, which probably contains 
about 1500 inhabitants. The houses are generally one story 
high, and are built of sun-dried brick ; some, however, are two 
stories, and have tile roofs. 

The weather here is so hot that the inhabitants keep with- 
in doors during the middle of the day. In the evening it be- 



166 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

comes cool and pleasant. This town and its vicinity, like 
most other places near the equator, are subject to periodical 
wet and dry seasons. During the heavy rains, many of the 
people remove to the hills, taking their cattle and other do- 
mestic animals along with them ; and at the commencement of 
the dry season, return to their former habitations. I under- 
stood that the dry seasons last from December to April, and 
the wet during the rest of the year. 

My stay here was so short that I could collect little relia- 
ble information on the subject of the general state of this 
country. I found the people generally a mixed breed of 
Spaniard, Indian, and Mulatto. 

Our captain and the two Guayaquil traders, after mass on 
the day of our arrival here, arranged their commercial affairs 
with the principal shop-keepers of the town, and when we had 
partaken of a tolerable dinner at the little posada, we all 
mounted our horses about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and re- 
turned again to the port. Here we landed several bags of co- 
coa, and a quantity of boxes of merchandise ; and took on 
board some dry hides, and eight or ten bags of dollars ; and 
after renewing our sea-stores of plantain and live-stock, got un- 
der way just before dark, and steered out of the bay on our 
•course for Panama. 

I learned from the two Guayaquil traders, that they were 
in the habit of leaving goods with the shop-keepers at Monte 
Christi, to dispose of for their account, and always stopped on 
their way up and down from Panama to Guayaquil, to receive 
the amount of what they had sold, either in money or in the 
produce of the country. 1 was surprised at the amount of the 
•cargo and money transported in this trifling little craft. I 
think one of these gentlemen told me there was about $30,000 
on board of our little brig, besides other valuable articles, which 
we were now taking to Panama, with which to pay debts and 
purchase merchandise for Guayaquil and the western coast of 
Colombia. 

T am thus minute on the subject of this small trading ves- 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 167 

sel, to show that although a craft of this description would not 
be considered capable or safe to make a sea voyage along the 
coast of the States, here the mild winds and smooth seas do 
not endanger almost any kind of vessel that will float, whilst, 
trading along the coast between Guayaquil and Panama. 
During the night there was a pleasant little breeze from off 
the landj and the next day, we had light and variable winds, 
with fine weather. At noon, I amused myself, while sailing 
along shore, by taking a meridian observation ; audit so happen- 
ed that the sun at noon was vertical, or directly over head, and 
I could therefore sweep his image with the quadrant all round 
the horizon, and fully realize that we were on the equator, and 
consequently in no latitude. Our longitude at this time was 
about 80° 00' W. from London. 

We continued to have light and variable winds, with occa- 
sional showers, for several days after crossing the equator. 
The weather during the daytime Avas generally very warm, 
and we had little or nothing to screen us from the rays of the 
sun, in this small and very uncomfortable vesseL Our cap- 
tain, as I have before said, was an ignorant, ill-bred man, and 
took no pains to secure the comfort or convenience of his pas- 
sengers ; — these evils rendered the time extremely tedious. 
We had, however, got about three degrees to the northward of 
the line, and were now making a pretty straight course for 
Panama. By the persuasion of the passengers and myself, 
our captain consented to steer boldly on our course to the 
northward, and not to follow the land along the whole length 
of Chuco bay, as he was inclined to do. He had neither chart 
nor quadrant on board, — and upon reflection, I was not sur- 
prised that he should not venture far out of sight of terra firma. 
The contramaestre was a good seaman and an excellent fel- 
low ; and frankly acknowledged that he knew nothing of 
navigation, though he was well acquainted with the land, and 
could navigate up and down the coast almost by instinct. As 
we increased our latitude to the northward, the winds gradu- 
ally freshened, and we got on without any material accident. 



168 VOYAGE IJSr THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

On the morning of the 16th of Sept., 1822, we made Pohit St, 
Francisco Solano, and the land to the eastward of the entrance 
of the bay of Panama. Point St. Francisco Solano is a pro- 
minent headland, and lies in lat. 6° 49' N., long. 77° A7' W. 
We steered up to the northward, keeping in sight of the land on 
the eastern side of the bay, and found the coast clear and easy 
to navigate. During the night the wind was light. The next 
day, Sept. 17th, we made several islands lying in this beauti- 
ful bay, — and as the weather was fine and the sea smooth, it 
was very pleasant sailing among the islands. We steered to 
the northward, and now had land on both sides of the bay. On 
passing the islands, we saw several men in boats employed in 
catching pearl oysters. The shells, I believe, are here not of 
much value, though considerable quantities are occasionally 
shipped from Panama to England. 

The next day, Sept. 18th, we came to anchor off th e town of 
Panama ; and in a few minutes after went on shore, and for- 
ever bade adieu to our captain and the brig Los Dos Her- 
manos. 

I was, of course, delighted to get on shore at Panama ; but 
I was not a little disappointed to find the city so badly supplied 
with hotels. Although there were two or three tolerable cafes, 
where one could get something to eat and drink, still, I be- 
lieve, there was not a good hotel in the place. I was told that 
the the best way of living there, was to hire a room or two, and 
and then get a black woman to cook. I accordingly hired a 
few rooms for myself and my two young friends, and engaged 
a black woman to dress our food and keep the rooms in order. 
In this way we got along tolerably well, and without any 
great expense. 

To my satisfaction, I met here captain John Brown, of the 
schooner Freemason, of Baltimore. This schooner was ly- 
ing at Chagres, and Captain Brown expected to sail for the Ha- 
vana in about a fortnight. I engaged a passage with him 
for myself and the two young gentlemen who came with me 
from Guayaquil. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 169 

The Freemaso7% was the only American vessel lying at 
Chagres ; and we deemed ourselves fortunate in meeting with 
so good an opportunity to return to the United States, by way 
of the Havana. 

Captain Brown soon introduced me to his consignee, J. B. 
Ferand, Esq., the American consul at this place. I found Mr. 
Ferand to be a polite, obliging, gentlemanly man, and he was 
to me always a kind friend. 

As it was quite healthy at Panama, and very sickly at 
Chagres, I concluded to remain in the former city until the 
Freemason was ready for sea ; and not having any business 
to do, I had sufficient leisure to walk about the town and its 
vicinity, and view the Key of the Isthmus, as Panama is some- 
times called. 

The city of Panama lies at the head of a fine broad bay, 
of the same name, sprinkled with islands sheltering the harbor, 
and beautifying the surrounding scenery. It lies in lat. 8° 59' 
N., and long. 79° 22' W. ; and like most other towns built by 
the Spaniards, is strongly walled and tolerably well fortified. 
It belongs to the republic of Colombia, and contains about ten 
or twelve thousand inhabitants. The streets are generally re- 
gular — and many of the houses are commodious and well 
built. Some of the public buildings are large and substantial, 
particularly the cathedral and several convents, and also the 
college. The college of the Jesuits, however, is now but a 
ruin. The environs of the town are pleasant, and the grounds 
in the neighborhood tolerably well cultivated. It was once a 
great place for trade, but had, during the last twenty or thirty 
years, gradually declined in its commerce. There was, how- 
ever, some little trade still carried on ; and should a canal or a 
railroad be constructed across the Isthmus, Panama will revive 
again. The natural position of the city is excellent, — and it 
will, in my opinion, at some future day, become a place of 
considerable importance. 

The tide rises here to a great height — (I do not recollect 
precisely how many feet) — at the full and change of the moon, 



170 VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

but as near as I can remember, some eighteen or twenty feet. 
Large vessels anchor at a considerable distance from the town, 
and lie afloat at low water ; the small coasting vessels anchor 
close in near the walls of the city, and consequently lie on the 
mud at low water. The inner harbor is quite dry; the sand 
and mud flats extend off to a great distance, which at low 
tide give to the harbor an unpleasant aspect ; but at the flood, 
the tide rises rapidly ; the mud and sand banks are soon covered, 
and the whole scene agreeably changed from dreary banks to 
a living sheet of healthful salt-water. 

It often struck me while strolling about this town, how 
admirably it was situated for a great commercial city ; with 
a wide and extensive coast, — one may even say, from Cape 
Horn to Behring's Straits — with innumerable islands in the vast 
Pacific Ocean — with an open and easy navigation to China, 
over a sea so mild and gentle, that it might almost be traversed 
in an open boat. All these facilities are open to this town on 
the Pacific ; and when we add to these its capacities of a 
general commerce on the Atlantic Ocean to Europe, the United 
States, and the West Indies, its location surpasses every other 
on the face of the globe. And now, what is necessary to bring 
about this great result ? I answer — a just and good govern- 
ment, with a few enterprising capitalists, and five hundred 
young men from New England to give the impetus. Wha- 
ling ships — merchant ships trading to China — coasting brigs, 
sohooners, sloops, and steamboats, would spring up like mush- 
rooms ; and in a few years this place would become one of the 
greatest commercial emporiums in the world. A practical^ 
intelligent merchant, acquainted with the commerce of the 
world, will see by a glance at the map, that I have stated no- 
thing respecting it either unreal or extravagant. 

A few days before we left Panama, Captain Brown made 
an arrangement with the municipal government of this place, 
or perhaps with an agent of the republic of Colombia, to take 
as passengers about eighty Spanish prisoners and their colonel, 
from Chagres to the Havana, and also a Colombian officer, 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 171 

by the name of Barientes (I think he was a major), to take 
charge of the business as commissioner. 

Tliese Spanish prisoners, I understood, capitulated at Q,uito, 
on the conditions that they should leave the country and be 
sent to the Havana in a neutral vessel, at the expense of the 
Spanish government. The Colombian government agreed to 
furnish them with provisions, and pay captain Brown a certain 
sum to land them at the Havana ; I think it was about $1800 
or $2000. This money was paid in advance at Chagres. 

Captain Brown had now so far accomplished his business, 
that I began to make my arrangements to leave Panama ; and 
for that purpose, hired a guide and five mules to transport 
Messrs. B. C. and A. D., my two young American friends, my- 
self and our baggage to Cruces. For the guide and the five 
mules, I paid forty-two dollars ; — and thus, after remaining at 
Panama fourteen days, on the 2d of October, at 4 o'clock in 
the afternoon, we left the city for Cruces. We travelled slow- 
ly along — myself and the two young men mounted on the 
riding mules (the other two were loaded with our baggage), the 
guide generally walking, in order to pick the best of the road 
and take care of the mules. He, however, rode occasionally 
on one of the baggage mules. The road for three or four miles 
after leaving the city was tolerably good, or rather the different 
foot-paths, for I saw nothing like a road on the whole route 
from Panama to Cruces. From Panama to the foot of the 
hills — a distance of about five or six miles — there is a gradual 
elevation, and nothing to prevent making a good road at a small 
expense. 

We passed over this part of the way rather pleasantly, and 
just before dark took up our abode for the night in a miserable 
posada, where neither a bed nor any thing eatable could be 
obtained. I got liberty to spread my mattress on the floor, — 
my young friends had each a blanket with them, and we all 
lay down in the same room ; and though thus badly accom- 
modated, were glad to get shelter for the night. 

At daylight, our guide called us to mount the mules and 



172 VOYAGE IN" THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

make the best of our way. Our bedding was soon rolled up 
and packed on one of the animals ; and we resumed our jour- 
ney over one of the worst roads I ever travelled, — up and down 
hill, through mud-holes, and over stony ground. Sometimes 
we met Avith large stones lying in the mud and sand, that had 
been washed out of the earth and not removed. Over these 
stones, many of which were the size of a barrel, we were 
obliged to pass. At other times the mules would mire above 
their knees, in passing through a deep slough. After getting 
through a low spot of mud and water, the next turn would 
bring us to a cut in the rocks, just wide enough for a loaded 
mule to pass. These passes are frequently made through the 
solid rocks ; and as they have probably been used a century 
and a half, the mules' feet have worn large holes, and these 
are generally filled with water, so that the poor animals, whe- 
ther going through the mud, slough, or rocky pass, have a diffi- 
cult task to perform. 

On the way, we frequently met with men carrying valua- 
ble goods on their backs, to and from Panama to Cruces. Al- 
most all fragile and valuable goods are conveyed across the 
Isthmus b)'' porters on their backs : such as China and glass- 
ware, clocks, and other merchandise. Coarser and heavier 
goods are transported by mules. During the day, we occasion- 
ally saw huts and small ranchos along the road-side, mostly 
inhabited by a miserable, sickly-looking set of creatures, a 
mixed breed of the Spaniard, Indian, and Negro. 

There is very little cultivation of the soil. The hills and 
valleys are generally well wooded and watered, but in a wild, 
savage state ; and the people that vegetate here, live by rais- 
ing cattle, pigs and poultry, and are extremely filthy and 
ignorant. The porters that convey goods on their backs from 
Cruces to Panama, are paid, I was told, from five to six dollars 
each way. The labor, however, is extremely severe, and 
none but the most hardy can long endure the fatigue. 

We could scarcely get any thing to eat on the road, and did 
not arrive at Cruces until late in the afternoon, and then very 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 173 

much worn down with fatigue. AUhough the distance from 
Panama to Cruces is only 21 miles, the journey is tedious 
from the badness of the roads. 

Cruces is a small town, — consisting of some eighty or a 
hundred little houses, lying on the west bank of the river Cha- 
gres, about 50 miles above its mouth, at the head of naviga- 
tion. The houses are one story high, and generally built of 
wood with thatched roofs. The ground on which the town is 
situated is pretty level, and about twenty feet above the river. 
We found here comfortable accommodations, and had a good 
night's rest, after the fatigue of a long day's ride. 

The next morning, the weather being fine, I walked about 
the town. The inhabitants are generally shop-keepers and 
boatmen, with a small proportion of mechanics. As Captain 
Brown was still in Panama, I was in no hurry to push on, be- 
ing told that this place was more healthy and pleasant than Cha- 
gres. His clerk, a young Spanish gentlemen, whose name was 
Francisco, joined us here, and was a friendly, polite young 
man, and very companionable. During the day I hired a boat, 
or rather a large canoe, and four men to take us down to Cha- 
gres ;— we were to furnish our awn stores.' The canoes on 
this river are very large and long. They are made by hollow- 
ing out a solid tree of Spanish cedar. Some of them carry 
over one hundred half barrels of flour. Whole barrels of flour 
are rarely brought to Chagres, owing to the difficulty of trans- 
porting them from Cruces to Panama. The canoe I hired for 
myself, and the three other passengers was of middle size, and 
the price agreed upon to take us down was thirteen dollars. 
After having purchased stores for the passage, we got a good 
dinner and remained at Cruces until near sunset, when we 
embarked. 

The canoes have hoops of bamboo bent over the after part 
of the craft, which is covered with a water-tight awnino- so 
that the passengers are sheltered from the sun by day, and the 
dews and rain by night. With our mattresses and blankets 
spread in the stern sheets, we managed to sleep pretty well dur- 



174 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

ing the night. The river is not very wide, but generally deep 
and extremely crooked, and runs down very rapidly. I should 
think it from a quarter to half a mile wide. Its banks are 
generally abrupt, and from thirty to fifty feet high. Near the 
river, the wood is frequently cleared off, with now and then a 
little village, or a few small plantations ; but receding a mile or 
two from the river, it appears like a vast wild forest, and a 
suitable habitation for wild beasts. In these jungles one would 
imagine they could remain undisturbed by the slothful race of 
men who inhabit the Isthmus. The trees here grow to an 
enormous size, and vegetation is rank and green all the year 
round. 

Our lazy boatmen knew that we were not in a hurry, and 
therefore let the canoe drift down the stream pretty much all 
night, without rowing. Early in the morning we stopped at a 
small village, and bought some eggs and milk for breakfast ; after 
remaining here about an hour, we pulled slowly down with 
the current. Soon after mid-day we brought up again at a 
small landing place, purchased a few trifling articles, and took 
our dinner under the shade of a fine large old tree on the bank 
of the river. This was on the 5th of October, and at 2 o'clock 
in the afternoon we re-embarked and pulled down for our port 
of destination. At night-fall it became dark and foggy, and we 
did not reach Chagres until 9 o'clock in the evening. As 
there was no hotel on shore, we went directly to the vessel, and 
had scarcely got on board and taken out our baggage, before it 
commenced raining, and continued to pour in torrents during 
the whole night. From 10 o'clock till midnight we had loud 
peals of thunder, and vivid lightning. At daylight it ceased 
raining, but there was a dense vapor like fog until about nine 
o'clock in the morning, when the sun shone out, and as there 
was not a breath of wind, it was extremely hot and uncomfort- 
able, and the exhalations were so dense and bad that we found 
it difiicult to breathe the foul atmosphere. This was on the 
6th of October. Chagres is a small insignificant village, ly- 
ing on low wet ground, along the eastern bank of the river's 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 175 

mouth, ill lat. 9° 21' N., long. 80° 4' W., of London. To the 
windward, or eastern entrance of the river, there is a point of 
land of moderate height, projecting somewhat into the sea, and 
forming a shelter for vessels lying at anchor in the mouth of 
the river, which here widens so as to form a sort of harbor ; this, 
together with the bar at the entrance, renders it a safe port from 
all gales of wind. To the leeward, and along the western bank 
of the river, the land is low, and overgrown with rank grass, 
and high mangrove bushes. 

At 10 o'clock, notwithstanding the'sun was shining with in- 
tense heat, I went on shore to take a look at the village, or town. 
We soon brought up in a '• pulperia" or grog-shop, which ap- 
peared to be the only resort for strangers, there being no hotel or 
tavern in this miserable place. 

On the eastern point, before mentioned, there is a small fort, 
at which, and about the town, there is a military garrison of 
perhaps thirty or forty sickly-looking soldiers. They are most- 
ly mulattoes and negroes, badly clothed, and worse fed. The 
commanding officer of this little garrison, and the great man 
of the place, was a middle-sized mulatto, about thirty or thirty- 
five years old. Captain Brown's clerk, Mr. Francisco, told me 
we had better call on the commandant or captain of the gar- 
rison ; that he no doubt expected all strangers to pay their res- 
pects to him on their arrival. This I was quite Avilling to do, 
and by all means to treat the public authorities with all proper 
respect and attention. We therefore forthwith repaired to the 
house of the commandant ; we found him comfortably lodged 
in good quarters, and we were received with much ceremony. 
The commandant was dressed in full uniform, with two im- 
mense epaulettes, and assumed an air of consequential dignity ; 
he offered us wine, and made a great flourish of male and fe- 
male attendants. This visit of ceremony lasted about half an 
hour, when we took leave, the commandant politely bowing 
us out of his premises. 

The Schooner Freemason was the only American vessel 
lying in port ; there were two or three others, and these small 



176 VOYAGE m THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

coasting vessels which are employed trading up and down the 
coast. 

Both of the mates and two of the seamen of our vessel were 
ill with the yellow fever, and hardly able to keep the deck ; 
and here we were to remain for several days, to wait for our 
passengers and their stores, which were to be furnished by the 
Colombian government, and also to be brought from Panama. 
The stores for the eighty Spanish prisoners consisted of charque, 
plantain, and a small portion of hard biscuit. The colonel and 
commissioner were better provided, and were to mess with 
Captain Brown and myself in the cabin. Captain B. had agreed 
to furnish water, and the poor sick mates, who were hardly 
able to crawl about the deck, were endeavoring, with a few 
sailors, to get all the water casks filled up from the river before 
the captain should arrive. 

Previous to leaving Guayaquil, I became acquainted with an 
elderly intelligent Spaniard, who had been for many years at 
Porto Bello and Chagres ; he told me by all means to wear 
woollen stockings or socks during the time I remained at 
Chagres, and to bathe my feet two or three times a day with 
brandy or some other kind of alcohol, and by no means ex- 
pose myself to the night air or noonday sun. I strictly fol- 
lowed the old man's advice while I remained here, and have to 
thank him, with God's blessing, that I escaped taking the fever. 
I enjoyed excellent health during my stay at Chagres, which 
is, perhaps, the most sickly place on the face of the globe. 

During the day, I ojjserved the clouds were driven by the 
N.E. trade- winds, and were collecting and hanging above and 
about the hills and mountains in the neighborhood, and I may 
also add all along the northern coast of the Isthmus ; towards 
night they lay in immense masses, and appeared, as it were, to 
rest on the tops of the lofty forest trees, which crown these high 
hills and mountains. Soon after sunset we began to see the 
lightning, and hear the thunder above the mountains, and it 
was kept up with increasing fury until about 9 or 10 o'clock 
in the evening, when the rains began to fall in perfect sheets of 
water. 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 177 

I have witnessed copious showers in other coimtries, but no- 
thing to compare with the torrents that fell here during the 
night ; I have also seen it lighten and heard it thunder in 
other p^rts of the world, but never saw or heard any thing to 
equal what I nightly witnessed in this place. Peal after peal 
rends the air, and, to a stranger, throws an appalling gloom over 
this doomed portion of the earth. In the morning about ten 
o'clock the sun broke out as on the previous day, and I found 
it difficult and dangerous to go on shore without an umbrella, 
to protect me from the rays of the burning sun. 

As the history of one day is exactly that of another, I deem 
it unnecessary to say much more on the monotonous life I led. 
With respect to the weather, it continued about the same during 
my stay, a bright burning sun during the day, with torrents of 
rain during the night, accompanied with vivid lightning and 
thunder. 

Although it is very easy to descend the river Chagres in a 
large canoe, well protected from the sun by day, and the dews- 
and rain by night, it is not so easy to ascend it against a very 
rapid current running from three to six miles an hour, accord- 
ing to the high or low stage of the water. Loaded canoes are 
often a week getting from Chagres to Cruces ; the men are 
obliged to track up the stream, and with boat-hooks haul up 
along shore by the trees and bushes. 

To convey passengers, the light canoes are taken, and they 
generally make the passage in two days. If asked whether 
there is sufficient water in the river for a steamboat, I would 
answer that I believe there is, and no obstruction but want of 
sufficient employment to support the expense of a boat. At 
this time there were very few passengers crossing the Isthmus, 
and too little trade to give any encouragement to establishing 
a steamboat on the river. 

On the 8th of October Captain Brown arrived, with the 

Spanish colonel and the commissioner, Major Barientes, with 

all the sea-stores, both for the Spanish soldiers and the officers, 

and now all was hurry and bustle getting ready for sea. The; 

12 



178 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

next day, Oct. 9th, I called with Captain Brown to pay our re- 
spects to the mulatto commandant, and to take a memorandum 
of this man in authority to purchase whatever he should please 
to order from Baltimore. Captain B. had already maide two 
or three voyages from Baltimore to this place ; and as he ex- 
pected to return there again in a few months, he of course had 
a great many little commissions to execute for the elite of Pa- 
nama and Chagres, On our arrival at the quarters of the 
commandant, we found him decked off in a new suit of gaudy 
uniform, — and here I witnessed a ludicrous farce between 
Captain Brown and the mulatto major. The latter was a vain 
and conceited coxcomb, evidently bent on showing oif and 
playing the great man. Captain Brown was a plain, blunt 
Scotchman, and understood not a word of Spanish, but was 
endowed with a good understanding, and was by nature kind 
and benevolent. Independent of these qualities, it was his 
interest to keep smooth weather, and be upon good terms with 
the major ; — he therefore waited with patience to receive the 
orders of the gallant commandant. I lament that I possess 
not the graphic powers of Dr. Smollett to describe the ludi- 
>crous. 

Captain Brown's secretary, Mr, F., was seated at a table 
with pen, ink and paper, to note down the orders of the mulatto 
gentleman, who, to show his learning, endeavored to give his 
directions in phrases of bad French, interlarded with a few 
words of English. He would now and then walk about the 
room for a few moments, and admire himself, from head to 
foot, in a large mirror suspended at the head of the room. Mr. 
F. modestly requested him to give his orders in the Castilian 
language ; but this plain dealing did not suit the taste of the 
major, who reproved him for his presumption, and then 
would reverse the order and direct him to commence anew, 
and strictly follow the orders given in his own way. The 
animated gesticulations and pomposity of the yellow major, 
and the unmoved indifference of the captain, formed so strik- 
ing a contrast, that it was with the greatest difficulty I could 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 179 

command my risible faculties. This farce lasted about an 
hour, when we took our leave of " senor commandant," and 
left him to admire himself without interruption. 

I can only imagine one reason why the Colombian govern- 
ment should place such a vain fool in the command of so im- 
portant a post, and that is, that the place is so unhealthy that 
no white man could live there. 

Oct. 11 th. — At 9 o'clock in the morning we weighed an- 
chor, and with the boat ahead to tow, and a light air off the 
land, sailed out of the harbor bound to the Havana. After 
getting a mile or two from the river's mouth, it became quite 
calm. There we lay exposed to the hot sun for two hours, 
waiting for the sea breeze, to beat up to windward far enough 
to stand to the northward, and thus clear the land to the west- 
ward, and make good our course out of the bay. 

The schooner Freemason was a good vessel, of about 100 
tons burthen, and a pretty fair sailer. In the cabin were the 
captain, the >Spanish colonel. Major Barientes, and myself In 
the steerage were the two sick mates, and the two young men 
that came with me from Guayaquil. The main-hold was left 
for the Spanish soldiers. Two of the crew in the forecastle 
were ill with the yellow fever, and the mates unfit for duty, 
and, notwithstanding all these evils, we were delighted to 
leave Chagres for the broad ocean, and once more to breath 
the pure sea air, and thus fly from pestilence and death. 

At 11 o'clock, after lying becalmed two hours, a breeze 
sprung up from the E. N. E., when we commenced beating up 
to windward ; and just at sunset, after having made fifteen or 
twenty miles up along shore, we steered to the N. N. E. all 
night with a stiff trade-wind from the east, and the next day, 
Oct. 11th, at 4 p. M., made the island of St Andrew. This 
island lies off" the Mosquito shore, in lat. 12° 30' N., long. 81° 
W. After passing this island we kept the trade-wind, and as 
it was light, we made but little progress during the night. At 
6 A. M., soon after dayhght, we made the island of Providence. 
This island is of a moderate height, and lies,, in lat. 13° 27' N., 



180 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

long. 80° 39' W. of London ; distant about sixty miles to the 
northward of St. Andrew. We ran within a mile or two of 
Providence, namely, to the westward, or in seamen's phrase, 
under the lee of the island. Thus we continued on our course 
to the northward, and passed to the windward of the numer- 
ous small islands, reefs, and shoals, lying off the coast of the 
Mosquito shore. 

Just at night on this day, Oct. 13th (sea account), Captain 
Brown was taken very ill, and unable to come on deck ; the 
second mate sick below, and the chief mate, poor fellow, so 
reduced from the effect of the fever contracted in Chagres that 
he was with difficulty able to keep the deck during the day. 
We were now in a dangerous and very difficult situation, sur- 
rounded with reefs and shoals, and no one to take the com- 
mand of the vessel. The old Spanish colonel and Major 
Barientes saw our situation, and begged me for God's sake to 
take the command of the schooner. I was placed in a very 
delicate position ; but under all the circumstances of the case, 
consented to do so. I mustered all the men in the forecastle, 
well enough to keep watch, and they numbered two. With 
these, and my two New- York friends, and the cook, I took 
command of the schooner ; and as the weather was dark and 
squally, I kept the deck all night, beating about in the pas- 
sage until daylight, when we again got a strong trade- wind 
from E. N. E., and fine, clear, pleasant weather. We were 
now clear of all the reefs and shoals, and made a fair wind for 
Cape Antonio, on the west end of Cuba. At 10 o'clock in the 
morning. Captain Brown was better, and able to come on deck 
and resume the command of the schooner. 

The Spanish colonel was a gentlemanly man of about 
sixty. He had been in the armies in South America seven or 
eight years, and in many severe engagements, and always 
fought with honor to himself and to his country ; but was 
beaten at last at the battle of Quito, where he and many of 
his countrymen laid down their arms and capitulated to be 
sent out of the co^jintry. He was indeed a war-worn soldier; 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 181 

and I fear had been poorly remunerated for his hard and se- 
vere sufferings. He was a kind, amiable man, with very 
modest and unassuming manners, and won the respect and 
esteem of all those about him. 

Major Barientes, the commissioner, was a fine, healthy 
looking young man, about thirty or thirty-five years of age ; 
he had been several years in the Colombian service, and I have 
no doubt was a gallant fellow, and was now on his way to a 
colony of Spain, to deliver the colonel and the Spanish sol- 
diers up to the government of Cuba, and claim from it the 
money and the fulfilment of the capitulation made at the 
battle of Q,uito, 

I was often amused with the conversation of these two 
gentlemen on the subject of the different battles fought in 
South America between their respective countrymen, each, of 
course, endeavoring to make his own countrymen superior and 
victorious. Generally, their conversations and recitals were 
carried on in a good spirit ; sometimes, however, they would 
wax a little warm in these little disputes. I good-naturedly 
reminded them that here we were all friends together, and 
had no fighting to do ; this always brought them to a just 
sense of their relative situations, w^hen their arguments would 
take a gentle tone, and end in mutual good wishes that the 
war between Spain and her colonies might soon terminate. I 
found them both well-bred and agreeable fellow-passengers. 

The mates and seamen were now convalescent, and every 
thing went on smoothly, and in a few days we made Cape St. 
Antonio, and proceeded on our course without any incident 
worth remarking, until off" Mariel, the day before we arrived 
at Havana. Here we fell in with a Spanish sloop of war, 
ship-rigged, and mounting eighteen guns. She ranged up 
near us, and seeing so many men on our decks, either took us 
for a privateer or a pirate. Her guns were pointed, and every 
thing ready to give us a broadside, although so near that she 
could, no doubt, see we had no guns. Our captain expected 
every moment to receive her fire. We were lying to when 



182 VOYAGE m THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

she hailed and ordered us to send our boat on board instantly, 
or she would sink us. We had but one boat, and it was dried 
up with the sun, so that the moment it touched the water it 
leaked like a sieve. Still the order was imperative and must 
be obeyed. Captain B. requested the colonel and myself to 
go on board, and show him the schooner's papers. We got 
into the boat, and, with constant bailing, made out to get on 
board of the ship, though not in a very good condition, being 
wet up to our knees. We showed our papers to the captain, 
who was a very young man, and, after a little delay, we were 
requested to take seats on the quarter-deck. 

The colonel explained the substance of the capitulation, 
his misfortunes, (fcc. (fcc. The captain appeared rather to 
upbraid than sympathize with the good colonel, who was old 
enough to be his father. I felt vexed with the upstart. Our 
visit was of short duration. The captain of the ship neither 
invited the veteran to take a glass of wine, nor any other re- 
freshment, nor was he at all polite. I sincerely regret I do not 
recollect the name of this worthy old warrior, who bore such 
treatment with so much patience. 

While in the boat, I observed to the colonel that his coun- 
tryman, the captain of the ship, did not treat him with the 
consideration and courtesy due to his rank and misfortunes. 
He mildly replied that he was a very young man, and was 
probably promoted by family interest, and had little sympathy 
for the unfortunate. 

The ship soon made sail, and we steered on our course, 
and the next day, Oct. 28th, came to anchor at Havana^ 
eighteen days from Chagres, The health-boat soon came 
along-side, and we were allowed to go on shore. 

Major Barientes went on shore in full Colombian uniform, 
and, I was told, was well received by the governor, but 
whether he ever recovered the money due to his government, 
I have never been able to learn. ' I took a kind farewell of 
these two worthy gentlemen, and we never again met. 

I was very anxious to get home, and as there was no ves- 



VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 183 

sel to sail soon for New- York, engaged a passage to Philadel- 
phia, on board the hermaphrodite brig James Coulter, to sail 
the next day. I advanced a small sum of money to my 
young proteges, taking their orders on their friends in New- 
York for the money I had already paid for their passages and 
other expenses, and left them under the protection of the 
American Consul at this place. 

The next day we got under way, and sailed out of the 
harbor, bound for Philadelphia. I regret I do not recollect the 
name of the young man who commanded the /. C, he was 
an active, capable ship-master, and a worthy man, I had the 
good fortune to meet on board the James Coulter, an old 
friend. Captain Frazer, of Baltimore, and as we were the only 
passengers on board, we were very happy to meet each other, 
and renew our former acquaintance. We had formerly met in 
Europe, and now, after many years separation, it was delight- 
ful to make a passage together. I do not recollect any thing 
remarkable during our passage home. Every thing went on 
in perfect good order, and we had a very pleasant passage of 
only fifteen days to the city of Philadelphia. 

I think I paid $50 for my passage, and was well satisfied 
with both the vessel and the captain. We landed in the 
afternoon of the 14th of November, 1822, and the next day I 
took the steamboat for New-York, and arrived in that city at 
noon, the next day following, after an absence of just twelve ' 
months, 

I had not received a syllable from home during my long 
and tedious absence, and was extremely anxious to hear from 
my family and friends, and therefore with precipitation I hur- 
ried to the counting-office of my friend, I met my friend B,, 
and not a word was spoken, but I saw in his face that I was 
doomed to be a miserable man, and that I was bereft of the 
dearest object for me that earth contained. I conjured him to 
speak out and let me know the worst, I told him I was a 
man, and could bear grief. He then told me that my wife 
died in Brooklyn, on the 3d of October, and was interred on 



184 VOYAGE IN THE SCHOONER SEA-SERPENT. 

the 5th, and that she had left me a fine httle daughter, about 
seven months old, 

I forthwith proceeded to my melancholy abode, and al- 
though I was stricken and cut to the soul, and bereft of her 
my soul held the dearest of earth's treasures, still, what could 
I say, but repeat the words of a man more afflicted than my- 
self, " The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, and 
for ever blessed be his holy name," 

A few weeks after my return home, my worthy friend 
Richard M. Lawrence, Esq,, who at this period was President 
of the Union Marine Insurance Company in New- York, called 
at my house, and generously offered me a situation as in- 
spector of ships in that company. The situation had lately 
been vacated, and was now offered to me with a very hand- 
some salary. I, however, declined the kind offer of my 
excellent friend, with many thanks ; not wishing at this time 
to remain long on shore. 

Had my wife been spared me, I should have thankfully 
accepted the offer, but being bereft and disappointed in my 
anticipations in life, I was again cast adrift and almost alone 
in this world of change and disappointment. 



CHAPTER VII. 

VOYAGE FROM NEW-YORK TO CADIZ, AND THENCE TO ST. THOM- 
AS AND ALVARADO, IN THE BRIG " NYMPH," OF NEW-YORK, 
IN THE YEARS 1823 AND 1824. 

The Nymph was owned by Richard M. Lawrence, Esq., and 
myself, jointly, and commanded by Freegift Coggeshall, jun. 
We purchased this vessel in New- York, on the 22d of August, 
1823, and after making some little repairs, commenced loading 
her on the 1st of September, with an assorted cargo of beef, 
pork, flour, bread, rice, and other articles of provision for Cadiz » 
At this period, Cadiz was besieged by a French army, 
commanded by the Duke of Angouleme, and blockaded by a 
large fleet of French men-of-war, consisting of twelve line- 
of-battle ships, several frigates, sloops-of-war and gun-boats, 
amounting, in all, to twenty sail. Most of them were gener- 
ally anchored at the mouth of the harbor. 

The King of Spain, Ferdinand VII., was at this time con- 
fined to Cadiz, and not allowed to leave that city ; he was. in 
fact, a state prisoner to the Cortes and to the generals com- 
manding the armies of Spain. The principal general and 
commander-in-chief of the Spanish armies at this period, was 
Riego. Knowing that Cadiz was a strongly fortified place, I 
thought the town would probably hold out for several months, 
at least long enough to give me time to get there with a cargo 
of provisions before it should yield, and consequently, I pre- 
dicated the success of the voyage on evading the blockade. 



186 VOYAGE IN THE BRIG NYMPH. 

The Nymph was a good sailing brig, burthen 181 tons, 
or 1500 barrels. We had a large quantity of butter and lard, 
and the whole invoice of the cargo amounted to $9,069. I 
was supercargo, having taken a young cousin of mine as cap- 
tain. I also took with i^e Mr. Edward Brown as chief mate. 
Mr. Brown had been in my employ for many years as master 
and mate, and was fully competent to act in either capacity, 
being a thorough-bred seaman, and a most faithful trustworthy 
man. The Mr. B. here spoken of I have frequently mentioned 
in my early voyages, and, in particular, on a voyage to the 
West Indies in the " Betsey and Polly, ^^ of New-Haven, in 
which vessel he was chief mate, and I was second mate. 
With these officers, and a crew of six men, we sailed from New 
York on the 10th of September, 1823. We cleared for Gib- 
raltar, but in fact were bound for Cadiz. We had generally 
light and contrary winds during the greater part of the passage, 
and made slow progress to the eastward. Nothing remarka- 
ble occurred. Every thing went on quietly, and in good order. 
We had an excellent crew, and good officers. The brig, it is 
true, leaked a little too much, and the sailors were obliged to 
spend a great portion of their time at the pumps ; still, there 
was no grumbling or discontent, every body was happy and 
willing to do his duty cheerfully. 

On the 12th of October, we made Cape St. Vincent, thirty- 
one days from New- York. The wind was light from the 
southward, and the weather clear and pleasant. I hauled 
close in shore, and the next day made Cape St. Mary ; at 11 
A. M., it bore north, 3 or 4 miles distant. Lat, by obs. 36° 55' 
N., long. 7° 52' W. I kept close in shore during the day, and 
spoke several fishermen, in the hope of getting some informa- 
tion respecting the blockading squadron off Cadiz, but found 
them so stupid and ignorant, that I could obtain no reliable 
information. I had been several times to Cadiz, and was well 
acquainted with the harbor and its vicinity, and therefore 
resolved to rely on my own resources, and trust to good for- 
tune and perseverance. It was blowing fresh from the west- 



VOYAGE IN THE BRIG NYMPH. 187 

ward, and by passing rapidly through the fleet, in the confu- 
sion which would be created by my sudden dash, I judged it 
impossible for them to fire into my vessel without doing more 
injury to each other than to me. On a dark night it is ex- 
tremely difficult to throw shot into a small vessel, when pass- 
ing rapidly through a fleet. 

I cautiously approached the port, and got sight of the light- 
house at about one hour before midnight, and then hove to for 
an hour, for the moon to go down. Thus far every thing 
appeared to favor my prospects of success. At half-past 12, 
midnight, it being dark and somewhat squally, I filled away 
and passed the light-house at 2 a. m., and soon after, let go 
my anchor in the inner harbor of Cadiz. Here I anxiously 
waited for daylight. I had seen no men-of-war at the mouth 
of the harbor, and began to fear that the blockade was raised, 
and impatiently watched the first dawn of the morning to 
ascertain the situation of things around me. 

Morning, however, soon came, and I found myself sur- 
rounded by the French fleet ; the ships-of-the-line and the 
frigates were at anchor off in the bay, while the sloops-of-war 
and gun-boats were all around us. 

I was at first disappointed and vexed at my bad fortune, 
and observed to the captain that I feared I should never be 
able to profit by entering a blockaded port, as this was the 
second time I had been defeated in a similar attempt ; the first 
time, in the Sea-Serpent, we were too late entering Callao. 
He observed, "it was true, we have been disappointed," but, 
said he, " I have no doubt you will surmount every difficulty, 
and ultimately make a good voyage." I thanked him for his 
good opinion, and observed in reply, that we should always 
be governed in this world by circumstances, and not repine at 
what had already transpired. 

It soon appeared that we had arrived a little too late. We 
got in on the 14th of October, after a long passage of thirty- 
three days, and the })lace surrendered to the French fleet and 
army, about a week previous to our arrival. Ours was the 



188 VOYAGE IN" THE BRIG NYMPH. 

second American vessel that arrived after the city fell into the 
hands of the French. The Baltimore pilot-boat schooner 
Blucher, arrived with a full cargo of flour, four days before 
us, I think two days after the blockade was raised. 

We were soon visited by the health-boat, and ordered to re- 
move up the bay to the eastward of the city, and there to per- 
form twelve days' quarantine, although every person on board 
was perfectly well. To enforce the quarantine laws, a small 
Spanish government schooner, commanded by a lieutenant 
in the navy, with about thirty men, was placed in the quaran- 
tine ground to watch me, and prevent my having any commu- 
nication with the shore, or any other boat or vessel, during the 
prescribed period of my detention. 

I did not regret being placed in quarantine for a few days ; 
on the contrary, I deemed it a privilege, under present circum- 
stances, to delay the sale of ray cargo in a glutted port. Stag- 
nation always follows the removal of a blockade, and as ex- 
tremes generally follow each other in quick succession, I knew 
it was my policy to wait patiently a reaction in the market. 

There was a garrison of French soldiers and a large fleet to 
be fed, besides the inhabitants of the city, and the adjacent 
towns of Porto, Santa Maria, St. Lucar, and many other small 
towns and villages in the vicinity of the once beautiful and 
flourishing city of Cadiz, now broken down, spiritless, and sink- 
ing under the pressure of party dissension, priestcraft, bigotry, 
and foreign interference. 

It is a singular fact, that in Spain, defrauding the revenue is 
not considered a moral wrong by a large portion of the people, 
and by many, rather a merit than a disgrace ; they consider it 
as only falling in with the practice of the nation, from the king 
down to the petty contrabandista, who smuggles a pound of 
tobacco. This principle, sanctioned or connived at by so large 
a portion of the community, is, no doubt, one great cause of 
their degradation and approaching downfall. With the masses, 
the prevalent feeling is that their rulers make bad laws, and 
that it is a virtue to break them in every way in their power. 



VOYAGE IN THE BRIG NYMPH. 189 

Among the upper classes, duplicity and intrigue are studied 
as a science, and though parties may disagree in other res- 
pects, they each strive in a smaller or greater degree to defraud 
the church and state government ; still, perhaps, there is no 
country on earth where individual punctuality and honor are 
held more sacred than in Spain ; this principle is carried out to 
an astonishing degree even among the professed contraban- 
distas. While I was lying in this port, an American captain, 
from an eastern port of the United States, who was rather 
" green" with respect to the Spanish character, and knew not a 
word of the language, attempted to smuggle a considerable por- 
tion of his cargo, without the knowledge of his consignee in 
Cadiz. After disposing of several articles at a great profit, he 
grew bold, and gave his custom-house officer so small a compen- 
sation that a quarrel ensued between them ; the officer, in a great 
rage, went on shore and informed against the captain ; the 
custom-house search-boat came immediately off to examine 
the vessel, and seize all the cargo not manifested. Fortunately 
for the captain it was very near night, and the officers had only 
time to find a few trifling articles, but had made their arrange- 
ments to go off in the morning and take out all the cargo not on 
the manifest. In the evening, after the custom-house boat left 
the vessel, the captain came on shore to the house of his con- 
signee in a great fright, and told the whole story to Don H. I 
was conversing with the worthy merchant at the time, and he 
observed that he should be a ruined man if Mr. H. could not 
get him out of the scrape. Mr. H. heard the captain's story, 
and told him he had done very wrong to attempt smuggling on 
so large a scale, without any knowledge of the place or lan- 
guage, but directed him to keep cool and quiet, and that he 
would get him out of trouble — that it would necessarily cost 
considerable money, and he hoped it would be a good lesson 
for him hereafter to act more prudently. 

I told the unhappy, agitated captain, to sit down and 
remain quiet, and leave every thing in the hands of his con- 
signee. Mr. H. rang the bell for a servant, who soon appeared, 



190 VOYAGE m THE BEIG NYMPH. 

and was ordered to request Mr. , the head clerk of his 

counting-office, to come to him without delay ; the order was 
promptly obeyed, when he sent for the chief of a gang of noto- 
rious smugglers, and told him the whole story, and observed 
that every thing not reported on the manifest of the vessel must 
be taken out before daylight the next morning, and the goods 
all concealed in a place of perfect safety, to be forthcoming 
when he should require them. For a certain sura (the amount 
I do not now recollect) a bargain was made with this despe- 
rate man that he and his comrades should perform their part 
of the business in good faith. The merchant then gave the 
captain a note to the custom-house officer, or guard on board, 
to come directly to his house, and directed the captain to remain 
on board himself, and deliver every article of merchandise not 
placed on the manifest, to the smugglers. The guard came on 
shore, and agreed to keep out of the way for a fair compensa- 
tion, and to return on board just before daylight, and thus be 
ready to assist the officers of the customs to find all the contra- 
band goods. Agreeable to promise, the smugglers took out all 
the goods during the night, and the next morning, when the ciis- 
tom-house boat went on board, they found nothing but what 
was regularly entered, and thus the whole aifair ended without 
further trouble ; the merchant sold the goods very well soon 
after, and the captain saved his vessel and cargo by this adroit 
management of his consignee. 

It is absurd for a stranger or a parsimonious man to at- 
tempt smuggling in Spain. What I mean by a stranger, is a 
man who knows nothing of the character of the people, and 
attempts to cheat the officers out of their proportion of the 
duties. In a word, with smugglers, and even with robbers, 
good faith must always be observed to the letter and the 
spirit. 

After this digression I will return to the question of right 
and wrong, with respect to smuggling. I have before said 
that it is all wrong ; still, when a whole nation agrees to de- 
ceive and defraud the government, it is difficult for a stranger 



VOYAGE IN THE BRIG NYMPH. 191 

to Stem the current. For example : I will commence with 
King Ferdinand VII. — The liberal party declared him to be a 
vile bigot and a consummate hypocrite, and that he connived 
with the bishops and priests to gull and rob the people ; that 
his prime minister defrauded the nation of many millions 
yearly ; that the high officers of state pocketed all in their 
power for their own private purposes ; and thus this system 
of fraud and peculation descended down to the petty custom- 
house officers, who are always ready to take the smallest 
" gratification." in the way of fee or presents. 

At this period, it was melancholy to see a whole nation di- 
vided against itself. The liberal and enlightened party leaders 
were obliged to fly their country. Many members of the 
Cortes went to Gibraltar and other places, to save their lives 
from the fury of the King's party. In fine, the French officers 
found it difficult to restrain the parties from destroying each 
other. Many of the best and most enlightened patriots of the 
country were cut off" by treachery and violence ; and the gen- 
eral cry of the ignorant, bigoted classes, by night and day, 
was " Viva el Rey Fernando septimo, viva la religion catolica, 
viva la inquisicion, abajo hos infieles liberalis." 

The government of France, under Louis XVIII., at this 
time sent a powerful army into Spain, under the command 
of the Duke of Angouleme, to liberate and assist Ferdinand 
VII. and his party of priests and bigots, and to disperse and 
chase away from Spain the enlightened, patriotic band, who 
were endeavoring to regenerate their unhappy country. Thus 
the little light that began to beam on this unfortunate nation 
was soon extinguished by the priests and ignorant classes, in 
combination with the old Bourbon party in France, with Louis 
XVIII. at its head. 

At the expiration of twelve days, I got pratique, and was 
allowed to discharge my cargo. By a regulation between the 
French and Spanish governments, flour and provisions for the 
French array and navy were admitted duty free. I accord- 
ingly sold my cargo to the French commissary, and by this 
arrangement made a freight on the whole. 



192 VOYAGE IN" THE BRIG NYMPH. 

In about twenty-five days after my arrival, I had sold near- 
ly all my cargo, and soon engaged a freight for Alvarado. — 
Daring our stay here, we had much bad weather, which is 
generally the case at this season of the year. Cadiz is very 
subject, during the winter months, to strong gales from the 
westward, and much rain. The unfavorable state of the wea- 
ther prolonged my stay, and frequently prevented me from 
landing any thing for two or three consecutive days. Having 
now sold and discharged every thing, my first care was to 
send home to my friend Lawrence all the money I had, except 
$1300, which I retained to purchase sundry small articles to 
fill up the brig ; I also retained sufficient funds to pay all my 
port charges, &c., &c., while in Cadiz, I remitted $2000 to 
New- York, by the schooner Imperial, Captain Gill, and also 
from Gibraltar, through Horatio Sprague, Esq., $5500. My 
freight to Alvarado, exclusive of owners' property, amounted 
to $3000. Besides this, I had twenty-two cabin passengers, 
including men, women, and children ; — for these, the price of 
passage was, for adults $130, and half price for children and 
servants. 

The NympKs cabin was large, she having been formerly 
a Mobile packet. I made an arrangement with my captain 
and mate, for a certain gratuity, to lodge in the steerage, and 
had a small house built on the quarter-deck for myself, giving 
the passengers the whole cabin for their accommodation. Se- 
veral of my passengers were gentlemen and ladies of consider- 
able distinction. They were generally military men, and 
among them were a colonel, a major, two captains, and several 
lieutenants, and their wives — mostly natives of Caraccas and 
Porto Rico, who had been many years in the armies of Spain, 
during the peninsular wars. Though some of them were native 
Spaniards, all belonged to the liberal party, and were now 
leaving Spain to seek shelter and employment in Caraccas, 
Porto Rico, and other parts of Spanish America. 

About ten days before leaving Cadiz, while in the midst of 
apparent prosperity, I received a letter from an old friend at 



VOYAGE IN THE BRIG NYMPH. 193 

home, giving me the melancholy intelligence that my only 
Httle daughter was no more. She died on the 18th of October, 
1823, aged about 18 months, after an illness of six weeks. — 
She was a promising, interesting child, and this stroke of death 
was to me a most severe affliction. 

One little year had but just elapsed since the decease of 
my beloved wife, and I began sensibly to feel that 

" 'Tvvas ever thus ; from childhood's hour 

I've seen my fondest hopes decay ;■ 
I never loved a plant or flower 

But it was first to fade away ; 
I never nursed a dear gazelle, 

To soothe me with its soft black eye. 
But when it came to know me well, 

And love me — it was sure to die !" 

I will not indulge farther in my own grief, but again resume 
the thread of my narrative. ^ 

It was a sad sight to witness the persecutions practised 
against the leading men of the liberal party. They were, as. 
I have before said, flying in every direction. Some of the most 
talented and conspicuous men were so obnoxious to the tyran- 
nical government of Ferdinand VII., that in many cases they 
were afraid to apply to the public authorities for passports.. 
Several of my passengers were placed in this unpleasant pre- 
dicament ; and I was happy to have it in my power to aid 
them in making their escape from Cadiz. For example, — 
Colonel Muiioz, in a sort of disguised dress, took my arm at 
twilight, passed through the gates of the city, and went on 
board my brig, where he remained quietly unobserved for two 
days before I left Cadiz. 

A day or two previous to our sailing, Captain Letamindi of 
the Spanish army applied to me for a passage for himself, wife 
and two children. I had then eighteen passengers engaged; 
and had no more room in the cabin. He was extremely anx- 
-ibus that I should take him with his military friends. He said 
himself and family would lodge any where I should choose 

IS 



194 VOYAGE IN THE BRIG NYMPH. 

to place them, and put up with any kind of fare ; that his 
means were nearly exhausted, and that he could pay me but 
:^100 for himself and family. His friends and former com- 
panions were all anxious that he should go, but none of them 
were overstocked with money. They all said Captain L. was 
an excellent man, and that his wife was a charming, lady-like 
person ; and if I would consent to take them, they (the pas- 
sengers) would club together and purchase stores for him and 
his family. I told Captain L., that if he and family would 
consent to sleep in the after-hold of the brig, I would have a 
room fitted up for them there, and endeavor to make them 
comfortable ; that they should eat at the table with the cabin 
passengers, and. if his friends were willing to provide him with 
some little necessary stores, they could do so ; but if this was 
not perfectly convenient to him, I would provide enough for 
-every person on board. Captain Letamindi and his wife were 
I delighted at my ofFei", and forthwith came on board. 

We got all our stores and passengers on board on the 5thj 
; and the next day, Dec. 6th, at 8 o'clock in the morning, sailed 
from Cadiz bound for St. Thomas, after remaining in that port 
fifty-three days. At noon we discharged the pilot outside the 
harbor. Had light airs from the N. W., and fine weather. At 
5 p. M., the light-house bore east, five leagues distant. 

As usual, a large proportion of my passengers were sea-sick 
during the first two or three days ; after which time, however, 
they all recovered, and appeared happy, and Strove to make 
themselves agreeable. The winds were light, and the weather 
generally good for several days. 

Nothing occurred worth recording until December 13th, when 
ut 8 o'clock in the morning, we made the three islands called 
the Deserters, in the neighborhood of Madeira. These islands 
lie in latitude 32° 22' North, longitude 16° 25' West. Three 
days after, viz., on December 16th, at 5 o'clock in the after- 
moon, passed near two small islands called the Salvages. I 
have in a former voyage described these rock islands, and will 
■only remark that they lie in lat. 30° 13' North, long. 15° 42' 



VOYAGE IN THE BRIG NYMPH. 195 

West. The next morning at 8 o'clock we saw the Peak of 
TenerifFe, bearing S. by W., 75 miles distant ; at 10, a. m., saw 
the Island of Palma, bearing S.W., about 10 leagues distant. 
December the ] 8th, at noon, passed very near the island of 
Gomeia ; the weather being fine, I ran close in shore on the 
S. E. side of the island, and hove too off the little harbor of St. 
Sebastian. I sent the mate and two seamen, and two of our 
Spanish passengers, on shore, in our own boat, to get a few casks 
of water, and if possible, some poultry, and a sheep or two. 
The mate returned in about an hour without water or any thing 
else. The Governor sent word that he had no provisions in the 
town, but if we could wait until the next morning, he would 
send into the country for sheep, poultry, and various kinds of 
fruit, and that we should be supplied with all the provisions 
and water we required. I was inclined to take him at his word 
and remain off the harbor until the next morning, but most of 
my passengers objected ; they said the island belonged to Spain, 
and they were afraid they should be detained if once placed in 
the power of an ignorant Governor. I reluctantly complied with 
their request, and left the island and the same little port at 
which Columbus first touched for water and fresh provisions, 
in 1492, sixteen days after leaving Palos, in the bay of Cadiz. 
He left Gomera on the sixth of September, after remaining there 
sixteen days ; this island lies in lat 28° 6' North, long. 17° 8' 
West. The next day we took the N. E. trade-winds, and ran 
down to the southward and westward, precisely on the same 
track taken by Columbus on his first voyage to St. Salvador, 
in 1492. 

We now had fine weather, and constant fair winds day after 
day. We took our meals under an awning on the quarter-deck, 
and every thing went on pleasantly, and all appeared happy 
and contented. In the evening, the sound of the guitjft-, ac- 
companied with sweet voices, beguiled the time, and the whole 
scene was peace and tranquillity : I never saw a more agree- 
able company of passengers on ship-board than were these la- 
dies and gentlemen. Not a word unpleasant was uttered during 



196 VOYAGE IN THE BRIG NYMPH. 

the whole voyage, to mar our social intercourse and friendly 
enjoyment. So far as my experience and observation go, the 
educated classes of Spain are very social and agTeeable. 

For many days, running down the trade winds to the west- 
ward, we averaged about 170 miles per day, scarcely shifting a 
sail. During this passage I had many a long conversation with 
Colonel Munoz, Captain Letamindi, and the other military gen- 
tlemen passengers, on the situation of Spain, both with respect 
to its then moral and political position. 

These gentlemen had been for many years attached to the 
armies of Spain, and one of them was perfectly familiar with 
aU the court intrigue at Madrid, having been for some years 
attached to the royal household. It is true they all belonged to 
the liberal party, and appeared to have very little feeling or 
charity for their opponents : still they were perfectly acquaint- 
ed with the state of the nation, and I have since found that 
their representations and prognostications were just and true. 
They all averred that the leaders of the liberal constitutional 
party had made a great mistake in exerci.^ing so much lenity 
owards the priests and bigots of the royal party ; and in par- 
ticular their famous leader. General Riego, who at one time had 
the supreme power in his own hands, and who boasted that he 
should be able to regenerate the nation, and give them a per- 
manent constitution and a liberal government, without shed- 
ding a single drop of blood. This visionary belief, and toO' 
much confidence in royal honor, cost him his life, and over- 
threw his party. Notwithstanding he had spared the life of 
Ferdinand the Seventh on several occasions when he was with- 
in his power, particularly in one instance when the king and 
General Riego were on their way from Madrid to Cadiz, and 
were obliged to pass through a certain town where the people 
werS very much incensed against him, and threatened to de- 
stroy him. Ferdinand, fearing an outbreak, and trembling for 
his personal security, took the general by the arm, calling him 
his Q.uerido Riego, and begged him for God's sake to save him 
from the fury of the populace \ but mark the contrast between 



VOYAGE IN THE BRIG NYMPH. 197 

the conduct of a liberal, humane general, and a bigoted, hard- 
hearted king. When the tables were reversed, and he and his 
party came into power by the assistance of the French, he or- 
dered General Riego to be tried by a military tribunal, who 
condemned him to be publicly executed at Madrid. At the 
execution, the fury of the bigoted populace knew no bounds, 
they cut his body into a thousand pieces, and vied with each 
other in desecrating his remains. Even at thi^ time many of 
the best patriots and the most enlightened men belonging to 
Spain, were hunted and pursued like wild beasts. Tbe grand 
mistake the liberal party made was, in not cutting off the heads 
of the royal leaders, breaking up the convents, and destroying 
the power of the priests. Had such a man as Napoleon or 
Bohvar been at the head of the constitutional ^arty, the whole 
nation Would, long ere this period, have been radically and 
thoroughly i«generated. 

It is vain, in an old, corrupt country like Spain, to think of 
a thorough and permanent reform without much blood-letting, 
and of this fact all the enlightened men of the nation are now 
fully convinced. One of these gentlemen told me that during 
Riego's administration, committees were appointed to visit 
every part of the country, and to converse with the small 
farmers and peasants, and endeavor to establish schools among 
them, to enlighten them and their children, and diffuse ele- 
mentary and useful books through the whole nation. This 
gentleman told me he was one of the number, and that he 
had visited and conversed with many of the country people, 
and stated to them that the object of the constitutional party 
was to reduce their taxes, educate their children, and in every 
respect to benefit their condition. He said they would listen 
to his representations, and for a moment appear to concur with 
him, but at the next breath, the force of habit and superstition 
would predominate, and then their answer was, that all these 
things appeared good and fair; still, said they, ^ve are told that 
the liberal party wish to destroy our faith in our holy Catholic 
religion, and make infidels of us and our children ; and cer- 



198 VOYAGE IN" THE BEIG NYMPH. 

tainly, if this is the case, it is far better for us to live here in ignor- 
ance and poverty for a few years, than to have all the wealth the 
world can give, and then die and go to a place of torment 
for ever. He said it required the patience of a saint to talk 
with these poor ignorant people, and with old people it was a 
hopeless case to expect any change for the better ; *but when 
their children were removed to the towns and cities, they had 
been successful in training them to think a little on the subject 
of popular instruction, and had not France intermeddled with 
their quarrels — even without a master spirit at the head of 
the nation — they would eventually have succeeded in brioghig 
about a general reform. These patriotic men sighed over the 
unhappy state of their country, and one of the ladies wept like 
a child when she took her last look at Cadiz. She said she 
loved her country, and hoped to revisit it again when God 
should bless them with a liberal government, founded upon 
just and enlightened principles. 

On Wednesday, January 7th, at 4 o'clock in the morning, 
we made the Island of Deseada, bearing west, five leagues 
distant. At 6, say two hours after, we saw the Island of 
Guadaloupe. The wind was constantly from the eastward, 
and the weather fine, and thus we sailed down among the 
West Indian Islands, passing one and making another ahead, 
which created renewed interest to my passengers, and kept up 
a very pleasant excitement during the whole day. 

Jan. 8th, 1824. — In the morning we passed St. Kitts, St. 
Eustatia, and Saba Islands. We had fresh breezes from the 
N. E., and fine, clear, pleasant weather. At noon. Virgin 
Gorda Island bore north, ten miles distant ; St. Croix in sight, 
bearing southwest, fifteen miles distant. At 4 o'clock in the 
afternoon of this day, came to anchor at St, Thomas, after a 
passage of thirty-two days from Cadiz, and every person on 
board in perfect health. 

Jan. 9th. — Landed all my passengers, twenty-one in num- 
ber, except one, (a native of Vera Cruz, a female servant, sent 
from Cadiz by her friends in that city to her family in Vera 



VOYAGE m THE BRIG NYMPH. 199 

Cruz.) The greater part of my passengers left St. Thomas 
in a few days, for Caraccas, some few went to Porto Rico and 
Laguira, and with the exception of three of them, whom I 
afterwards met, I separated with them for ever. I parted with 
them with regret, and should be happy to meet with them, or 
any of them again, if chance should ever throw us together. 

At St. Thomas I discharged my young captain, he being 
desirous to return home. I here laid in a fresh supply of cabin 
and ship stores, and also purchased sundry articles to dispose 
of at Alvarado, such as a puncheon of rum, a bag or two of 
coifee, and some other small articles. We also had some 
calking done on the brig, and got both pumps repaired, (fcc. 
&c., and after lying in the port of St. Thomas eight days, made 
sail at 7 o'clock in the morning, on the 16th of January, bound 
for Alvarado, in the Gulf of Mexico. For several days after 
leaving St. Thomas we had moderate breezes from the N. E. 
and E. N. E., and generally averaged about 130 miles distance 
per day, during a period of three or four days. We ran down to 
the westward, along the south coast of the islands of Porto Rico 
and St. Domingo, and thence along the south side of Jamaica. 
In this vicinity we experienced much calm weather, and were 
in sight of the island for the space of five days. The passage 
thus far had been extremely long and tedious. 

On the 25th of January, a fresh breeze sprang up from the 
N. E., and fine weather; we now steered more to the north- 
ward, and ran through the passage between the west end of 
Cuba and Cape Catoche, and then along the coast of Yucatan. 
The Ni/?)iph leaked badly, and the leak appeared to increase 
daily. After getting clear of the north coast of Yucatan, we 
experienced a norther which blew with great violence ; double 
reefed the top-sails, and furled the main-sail and try-sail, and 
though the wind blew tremendously, the weather was quite 
clear. This gale occurred on Sunday, February 1st, in lat. 
22° 7' N., on the Catoche Bank, in twenty-five fathoms of 
water. The next day, February 2d, the weather moderated, 
when we again made sail and steered on our course with light, 
winds from the eastward. 



200 VOYAGE IN THE BRIG- NYMPH. 

On Friday, February 6th, made the high land on the coast 
of Tobasco, and the next day, February 7th, saw Point Roca 
Partida. The latitude of this point is 18° 43' N., long. 94° 
59' W. We had, during the day, light winds from the east- 
ward, and fine, clear, pleasant weather. 

On February 9th, in the morning, we arrived off the bar 
of Alvarado. The entrance to the harbor lies between two 
sand-banks, some thirty or forty feet high. These sand-banks 
render Alvarado a very blind port, and I found it very difficult 
to discover the gap or entrance until we approached within a 
short distance of the bar. At one hour after noon, we took a 
pilot and ran over the bar, and at 3 o'clock, came to anchor, 
and moored ship with two bower anchors ; twenty-three days 
from St. Thomas, all well. I felt myself extremely fortunate 
in getting safe into this little port ; the weather was fine, with 
a light breeze from the N. E., and a very smooth sea. There 
was only ten and a half feet of water at this time on the 
bar, and the Nymph drew about ten feet, so that we had very 
little water to spare. 

I here employed the very respectable house of Messrs. 
Heilly & Suberville, to assist me to transact my business. I 
found in this port but a small number of vessels, and nearly 
all of these were Americans, viz. : the brig Merced, Captain 
Russel, and the schooners Dolphin, Captain Copeland, and 
Fly, Captain Van Dine, of New- York ; there were also two 
or three small vessels from Philadelphia and Baltimore, one 
U. S. schooner, commanded by Lieutenant Zantzinger, and I 
think, two Mexican schooners, one of them was the Anahuac, 
Captain Cochran. These schooners were placed here to guard 
and protect the trade at Alvarado. At St. Thomas I cleared 
out for New Orleans as a precautionary measure, and put into 
this port in distress, so that if I should meet with any diffi- 
culty in consequence of my having loaded in a Spanish 
place, I should have liberty to leave it, and pursue my voyage 
to New Orleans. We had some difficulty for a day or two at 
the Custom-house, on the subject of allowing me to enter and 



VOYAGE IN THE BRIG NYMPH. 201 

discharge my cargo. The question grew out of the construc- 
tion of a decree of the Mexican Government, passed in the 
city of Mexico, on the 8th of last October. That decree al- 
lowed the goods and productions of Spain to be admitted into 
Mexican ports until four months after the passage of the act, 
and then declared that all the goods and productions of Spain 
brought into Mexico after the expiration of the four months, 
should be seized and confiscated to the Mexican Government. 
I arrived at this port on the 9th of February, one day after 
the expiration of the four months, but as the law was not pro- 
mulgated here until the 14th of October, it still gave me four 
or five days to enter and discharge, and so it was finally con- 
strued and settled, that I should have liberty to discharge and 
sell my cargo. The fact is, the government wanted the duties, 
and the people wanted the goods. In the management of this 
voyage, I made one grand mistake. If in lieu of sending my 
funds home from Cadiz, I had laid them out in the goods and 
products of Spain, I should have made an immense voyage 
for myself and my friend. The small amount that I invested 
for paper, oil, raisins, &c., in Cadiz, say about ^1,300, sold 
here for 4,200, and netted, after paying duties, commissions 
and all other charges, $3,500. Barrels of wine that cost $9, 
were here worth from $35 to $40 ; small barrels of brandy, 
were worth $50 per barrel. Oil that cost in Cadiz $1 per jar, 
was here worth from $5 to $6 ; paper that cost in Cadiz $2 
per ream, brought $7 ; raisins that cost but 90 cents per box, 
I sold for $3, and almost every other article in a like propor- 
tion. The whole country appeared to be quite bare of the 
goods and productions of Spain, and my little cargo com- 
manded almost any price. 

At this period, the castle of JSan Juan de Ulloa was in 
possession of a Spanish garrison, and no vessels were allowed 
to enter the harbor of Vera Cruz ; consequently the whole 
commerce of Vera Cruz was carried on through Alvarado ; — 
this was the nearest port, and could only be entered by small 
vessels. The caslle of San Juan de Ulloa was at war with 



202 VOYAGE IN THE BRIG NYMPH. 

all Mexico, it being at this time the last and only place where 
the Spanish flag was flying on the continent of America, except 
Callao, the seaport of Lima. 

I had now. after some difficulty, obtained permission to 
land my cargo, and early in the morning, on the 11th of Feb., 
commenced landing some light articles in our own boats. At 
noon, however, we were obliged to stop discharging and clear 
the decks, and prepare for a violent norther, which had com- 
menced in good earnest. We sent down top-gallant-masts and 
yards, braced the lower and top-sail-yards to the wind, and 
then veered out a long scope of chain cable, and made every 
other preparation to ride out a violent gale from the north. 

The U. S. schooner Shark, commanded by Captain Stevens, 
was lying at anchor at Point Liserdo, some eighteen or twenty 
miles distant from Alvarado, and as the Spanish garrison at 
San Juan de Ulloa was at open war with Mexico, Captain 
Stevens was closely watching the trade, both at Vera Cruz 
and Alvarado. He was an active, vigilant officer ; and was 
always ready and willing to protect his countrymen and their 
commercial interest. Not long previous to this period, Peter 
Harmony. Esq., of New- York, had placed in the castle of San 
Juan de Ulloa a considerable amount of property, for safe 
keeping, and being anxious to avail himself of the influence of 
Captain Stevens, to recover and secure it from both of the bel- 
ligerent parties, wrote to Captain Henry Russell, commanding 
the brig Merced of New- York, to open a communication with 
the castle, through the influence of the commanding officer of 
the United States squadron in the Gulf of Mexico. Captain 
Russell communicated his wishes to Captain Stevens, on the 
subject of proceeding with him to the castle of San Juan de 
Ulloa. Captain Stevens promptly complied with the request, 
and said he would proceed with him the next day. Captain 
Stevens was at this time at Alvarado, in his gig boat, with his 
second lieutenant, Mr. Hobbs, four stout seamen, and a cock- 
swain, besides his own boat's crew. He took with him Captain 
Henry Russell and George Dekay, Esq. The last named gen- 



VOYAGE IN THE BRIG NYMPH. 203 

tleman went with them as interpreter, being perfectly famiUar 
with the Spanish language. After having provided themselves 
with all necessary stores for the voyage, at' 7 o'clock in the 
morning, on the 11th of Oct., they started from Alvarado in 
this little boat for the schooner Shark, then lying at anchor at 
Point Liserdo, in a direct line with the castle. When they 
left the port, the weather was fine, and not wind enough to 
ruffle the water. After taking leave of their countrymen on 
the beach, they started — to use their own words — " with light 
hearts and joyous spirits," alternately sailing and rowing, ex- 
pecting in a few days to return and meet us, and talk over the 
incidents of the boat voyage to the seat of war. 

They proceeded slowly on their course about twelve or 
fifteen miles, so that at noon they came in sight of the schooner 
Shaj'k, lying at anchor : and now mark the change, — in an 
instant, as it were, the calm was succeeded by a violent 
norther, leaving them no alternative but to bear up and run 
before the wind, and endeavor to regain the little blind port of 
Alvarado, which was, fortunately for them, directly under their 
lee. They scudded for a time under bare poles, until the sea 
rose so high that they found it dangerous to run without some- 
thing to force the boat faster than the sea, which began to 
comb and break over them. Captain Stevens calmly ordered 
his men to set a reefed fore-sail to accelerate the motion of the 
boat, and thus drive her like an arrow through the water. The 
sail was soon set, and the boat propelled by the fury of the 
wind, so that at times the water was some inches higher than 
the gunwale of the boat. Lieutenant Hobbs took his station 
on the look-out at the bows of the boat, supporting himself by 
the mast ; Captain Stevens conning the cockswain at the helm ; 
Captain Russel and Mr. Dekay sitting in the stern-sheets bail- 
ing out the water with their hats, and the men lying close 
down in the bottom of the boat. 

It must have been a sublime sight to witness the silent and 
calm resignation of the whole party, to the will of Him who 
rules the ocean, and governs the whirlwind by his own good 
pleasure. 



204 VOYAGE IN THE BRIG NYMPH. 

The most perfect order and self-possession prevailed ; not 
a word was heard except from Captain Stevens to his heuten- 
ant, to look out sharp for the bar at the entrance of the port, 
with now and then the words " steady, steady ; thus, my boy, 
thns," to the man at the helm. At times the boat was forced 
through the water with such rapidity that there was great dan- 
ger of running her under. The water was coming over the 
bows like a river ; still it would not do to take in sail, and their 
only hope was in keeping the boat out of the way of the sea, 
and hitting the channel through the bar at the entrance of the 
little river, where the fury of the wind had lashed the sea into 
a white boiling foam. In the midst of this appalling scene, 
the plug got out of the bottom of the boat, when Captain Rus- 
sell thrust his thumb into the hole, and it was some moments 
before any thing else could be found to fill it. The sea was so 
high, that at times, notwithstanding the rapidity of the boat's 
motion, the tops of the white billows were washed over their 
heads, the boat struggling to free itself from the weight of the 
water that had forced itself on bocfrd. For two hours this 
heroic little band contended with these dangers, until a kind 
Providence aided their own good judgment, and directed them 
to the entrance of the channel, when lieutenant Hobbs con- 
ducted them through a little passage, between two immense 
breakers, and in a few moments after, they were within the 
bar and in the smooth water of the river. 

The writer of this miraculous escape was watching, with 
others on the beach, and listening to the roaring of the surf 
and the howling of the tempest, and lamenting the sad fate of 
his worthy, but unfortunate countrymen, with expressions like 
these to each other — " Well, poor Stevens, Hobbs, Russell, and 
Dekay, are no doubt all gone ; they are inevitably lost ; they 
can never survive the fury and violence of this tempest ; they 
have not had time to reach the /Shark, and they are now all 
doubtless swallowed up in the foaming billows." Judge, then, 
what must have been our joy and delight a moment after, to 
behold the little boat inside the bar, and in a few moments after, 



VOYAGE IN THE BRIG NYMPH, 205 

in taking these half-drowned whole-souled Americans by the 
hand. 

Those who have never witnessed such scenes, cannot fully 
understand and feel the full force of sympathy. The power of 
the pen and pencil cannot bring the subject home to the heart 
and soul, as the heart and eyes combined lay the whole scene 
open and naked before you. 

During my stay at Alvarado, I had many conversations with 
Captain Stevens on the subject of his miraculous escape. He 
said that it was indeed a miracle, and that the finger of God was 
no doubt in it. He said that he was now more than ever con- 
vinced that man should be a religious being ; that he had pass- 
ed through many dangers at sea and on shore, had been in the 
battle and the storm, but had never felt himself in such immi- 
nent danger as in this instance. He was a brave, gallant man. 
and bore a conspicuous part on liake Erie, under the heroic 
Perry, and I think was also engaged in other naval actions dur- 
ing our late war with England. I do not recollect to what 
part of the Union Lieutenant Hobbs belonged, I think, how- 
ever, it was Virginia ; he was a polished gentlemanly young 
man, about thirty or thirty-five years old, and an excellent 
officer, and won the estee i ( f all who knew him.. Captain 
Stevens is now dead (in 1846), and whether Lieut. Hobbs is 
still living, I know not. 

The gale continued to increase, and at 3 o'clock in the 
afternoon it blew a perfect hurricane ; at 4, my brig took the 
ground, brought home the anchors, and drove on shore on a 
hard S8i!lis.bank, where she lay thumping during the whole 
night, and making much water. 

The next day, February the 12th, the gale continued to blow 
with great fury from the north, our vessel still lying on the 
sand-bank, thumping with great violence ; the wind blew so 
severely that it was difficult for the inhabitants to get about 
tli'^ luwn ; the sand and dust were driven in clouds, and all 
Kind of business was entirely suspended for the the space of 
three days. Although the wind was so violent the weather 



206 VOYAGE IN THE BRIG- NYMPH. 

was perfectly clear, and there was not a cloud to be seen in the 
heavens. On the 15th it moderated, and we discharged seve- 
ral boat-loads of cargo. The next day, February the 16th, 
hove the vessel off the sand-bank and moored ship, and went 
on discharging the remainder of the cargo, which all came out 
dry, and in a good condition, notwithstanding she had made 
so much water. 

On the 18th I called a survey of ship-masters on the Nyniph. 
The survey ordered the sheathing of the brig taken off the best 
way it could be, and the bottom calked temporarily, until it 
could be thoroughly and permanently done at some other port, 
there being no facilities for repairing ships or vessels at this 
place. Alvarado lies in lat. 18° 46' N., long 95° 38' W. of 
London ; it is situated on the west bank of the river Alvara- 
do, about one mile and a half above its mouth, and forty miles 
S. E. of Vera Cruz. The town is an insignificant place, with 
one church, and about 100 to 150 houses, most of which are one 
story high ; it may perhaps contain about 800 to 1000 inhabit- 
ants. The immediate vicinity is a barren sandy desert, though 
at some distance from the town the land becomes very fertile 
and productive. After advancing a few miles up the river, it 
opens into a kind of salt water lake, which abounds with im- 
mense quantities of excellent oysters ; wild game is also abun- 
dant, such as deer, hares, and other animals ; wild ducks and 
sea-fowl are also numerous, and those persons who are fond of 
shooting find here abundant sporting. The climate is mild, 
and man can subsist with as little labor as in any part of the 
earth. The poorer classes live along the banks oijijfe river in 
bamboo houses, which they erect in an hour or two^misy plant 
their Indian corn on the banks of the river, where it grows al- 
most without cultivation, and I am told produces abundantly ; 
when ripe enough to gather, they go in canoes and bring it to 
their houses, and hang it up by the husks on poles erected upon 
stakes driven into the ground. 

From the oyster banks, they can load a boat with fine oysters 
at low- water in a few minutes. The plantain trees supply them 



VOYAGE IN THE BRIG NYMPH. 207 

with bread, and they are absolutely the most independent people 
I ever met with. If required to labor in town or on ship-board, 
they appear very careless about it, and always make their own 
terms for their services. If any objection is made to the price 
of wages, they reply that there are fish enough in the river to 
supply them with food, and that God has provided them with 
all that is necessary for their sustenance ; consequently they 
become very indolent, and live a drowsy, sleepy sort of life, 
with but little more activity thon the oysters that nourisji and 
sustain them. By nature man is an indolent animal, and will 
only labor from necessity. It is true, that in cold bracing 
climates, where men are compelled to labor and provide for 
winter, the habit of daily employment becomes to them a plea- 
sure ; but it is only from habit that men like it. Witness the 
Indian tribes in the vast forests of North America, where they 
hunt the wild animals for a support ; — after killing a buffalo or 
wild ox, they build a fire, around which they gorge themselves 
with the flesh of the animal, and then sleep for several days, 
and when roused by hunger they again pursue the chase for 
something to supply them with more food : so that it is in fact 
necessity alone that compels them to action. 

I had now decided to go from this port with my brig to 
the Havana, and accordingly advertised for freight and pas- 
sengers- to that port. I wrote to my friend R. M. Lawrence, of 
New- York, to get two thousand dollars insured on freight from 
this port to the Havana, on a valued policy. I ballasted the 
Nymph with sand, and got her ready for sea with all possible 
dispatch ; settled my business with my consignees ; received 
the amount of my proportion of the cargo sold, freight money, 
&c., &c. ; and after getting about ten ceroons of cochineal, and 
eleven bales of red peppers on freight, with eleven cabin pas- 
sengers, at one hundred dollars each, I was ready for sea. — 
Previous to leaving this port, however, I shipped on board the 
schooner Fly, Captain Henry Van Dine, five thousand dollars 
for account of R. M. Lawrence, of New- York,' and myself, 
joint owners of the brig. There remained with me about six- 



208 VOYAGE IN THE BRIG NYMPH. 

teen hundred dollars more, belonging to ourselves jointly, 
which amount I concluded to take with me to the Havana. 
Having arranged my business matters and got all my passen- 
gers on board, we sailed on the 11th of March for the Havana. 

The next day, notwithstanding, the weather was very fine 
and the sea smooth, the brig commenced leaking so that we 
found it necessary to pump every four hours. 

March V^th. — Commenced v/ith light winds from the E. 
S. E., with fine, clear, pleasant weather ; the leak still increas- 
ing to 200 strokes the hour. My passengers were clerical 
men and merchants, viz. : six priests and friars, and the re- 
mainder merchants and shop-keepers. The priests and friars 
began to be alarmed at the brig's making so much water, and 
inquired of me the cause, and whether it was not best and 
more prudent to return to Alvarado. I had laid in sufficient 
stores and provisions for the voyage to Havana, and was very 
reluctant to return into port ; — I had received all the passage 
money, and felt that it was a hard case for both parties ; and 
was therefore determined to persevere on my course, as long as 
safety and prudence would authorize my doing so. 

March l^th. — The leak had now increased to 260 strokes 
an hour : all my passengers were very much alarmed, and the 
clerical gentlemen implored me to run for the first p:)rf, and 
offered me freely all the passage money they had paid, and 
were willing to sign a contract to that efiect. The merchants 
a d shop-k epers were more obstinate, and refused to give 
up any portion of the passage money ; consequently, I told 
them I should pursue my course for the Havana, until it was 
the unanimous desire of all the passengers to return into port. 
That I would not retain all their passage money, but thought 
it but just and fair for me to retain the one-half of it ; having 
expended about that amount for their provisions and stores ; — 
and if they thought proper to agree to this arrangement, I would 
steer for the first port. They all soon came into the mea- 
sure. The virind had been light from the N. E. for the last two 
days, and the curre .l had swept us to the westward^ so that on 



% 



VOYAGE IN THE BRIG NYMPH. 209 

the 18th, four days after leaving port, we made the highlands 
about ten leagues to the northward of Vera Cruz. We now 
had fresh breezes from the northward, and fine weather. At 
noon, this day, passed near the castle of San Juan d'UUoa, 
and attempted to gain- the anchorage at the islands of Sacri- 
iicios, but could not fetch in. We then bore up for Alvarado. 

The next day, March 16th, by turning and shifting the 
sand ballast, we found the principal leak was in the skarf of 
the keel. It proceeded through the opening of the skarf with 
great force and violence ; and although we saw tliis frightful 
leak, we were not able to stop it. It appeared evident that the 
skarf must have been started when the brig was thimiping on 
the sand-bank, during the severe weather of the 11th and 12th 
of February, and that the aperture had filled up with sand, 
which did not wash out until after we left Alvarado and got 
into clear ocean water. 

On the 17th, at 11 o'clock in the forenoon, we took a 
pilot off Alvarado bar, the wind being then from the northward, 
with fine clear pleasant weather ; we soon ran into port, and 
at 3 o'clock in the afternoon came to anchor, after an ab- 
sence of a week. I now landed all my passengers, retaining 
the one-half of their passage money, and had no difficulty with 
them, as they were reasonable men, and were convinced that it 
was no fault of mine, but pure misfortune. I returned the goods 
oil freight to the owners, or shippers, without any charges or 
expense to either party. I then noted a protest, and the next day 
Mr. S. Malsan, acting American consul and commercial agent at 
this port, appointed a survey of three experienced ship-masters, 
viz., Capt. Henry Russell, James Copeland, and Henry Van 
Dim, to repair on board the brig, and examine her situation, 
and report to him. Accordingly, these gentlemen ordered the 
brig hove out ; I, with great difficulty, borrowed blocks from 
one vessel, and falls from another, and the next day managed 
to heave the brig down, so that the survey could examine the- 
keel and bottom. They made the following report : — 

" We the undersigned, shipmasters of the United States, no\Y' 
14 



210 VOYAGE IN THE BEIG NYMPH. 

in Alvarado, named and appointed by S. Malsan, acting com- 
mercial agent for the United States, at the port of Alvarado, to 
survey the brig Nymph, of New- York, Coggeshall master, late- 
ly returned to this port in a leaky condition. 

Report as follows : — ^That we have this day repaired on board 
said brig, and after a thorough and careful examination, found 
the skarf of the keel started, and otherwise much injured, the 
water forcing through in great quantities, and that it is imprac- 
ticable to fasten and secure the same from the inside. We are 
therefore unanimously of opinion, that to make her seaworthy 
it will be absolutely necessary that the said brig should be 
hove keel out, the keel re-bolted and properly secured, the re- 
mainder of the sheathing taken off, bottom calked and re- 
sheathed. It is also our opinion that the expense of the before- 
mentioned repairs at this place, would far exceed the value of 
the vessel, it being doubtful, at the same time, whether it is 
possible to accomplish the necessary repairs to make the Nymph 
seaworthy, with the means and facilities that this place offers. 
We recommend Capt. Coggeshall, therefore, to dismantle said 
brig Nymph., and dispose of the materials, viz., spars, sails, 
cables, anchors, boats, hull, in short, all the tackle and apparel 
in detail, to the best advantage for whomsoever it may concern. 
Witness our hand, in Alvarado, March l9th, 1824. 

HENRY RUSSELL, of Brig Merced. 

JAMES COPELAND, Schooner Dolphin. 

HENRY VAN DIM, Schooner Fly.'' 

We found the main keel of the Nymph in a very bad situa- 
tion, the false almost entirely knocked off, and the main, amid- 
ships, broomed badly for ten or twelve feet, the skarf opened, 
and violently wrenched. All this damage, no doubt, occurred 
while she lay thumping on the sand-bank with a heavy cargo 
on board, on the 11th and 12th of February. Agreeably to 
the advice of the consul, and the official survey, I proceeded forth- 
with to dismantle the brig, and through Messrs. Bolls and 
Treat, auctioneers, sold the hull, and also her materials in de- 



VOYAqE IN THE BKIG NYMPH. 211 

tail ; paid off the officers and seamen according to law, and soon 
settled all my business at Alvarado. 

About this period, Mr, Andrews, agent for the United States 
Bank, arrived from the city of Mexico, and related the following 
story. Messrs. Andrews and Crawford, of Philadelphia, were 
appointed agents for the United States Bank, to proceed to the 
city of Mexico, and there transact some important business for 
that institution. After having accomplished their mission, the 
Government furnished them with a military guard, to protect 
them on the road from the capital of Mexico to Alvarado. In 
company with these gentlemen, was the captain of a British 
man-of-war, then lying at anchor at Vera Cruz ; the name of this 
gentleman I do not now recollect. The English captain and 
Mr. Andrews rode in a carriage, driven by a postillion, and Mr. 
Crawford on horseback alongside of the carriage. After getting 
down toPerote, the captain of the guard assured them that the 
danger was over, and there left them to perform the remainder 
of the journey without a guard. Soon after leaving Perote, 
while travelling on the road, they were attacked by ten or twelve 
well-armed men in masks, mounted on fine horses. Their 
first act of violence was shooting Mr. Crawford through the 
body ; this unfortunate gentleman fell to the ground bleeding 
profusely. They then ordered the captain and Mr. Andrews 
to leave the carriage, and lie flat on their faces on the ground, 
while they rifled the vehicle of all they could find ; after hav- 
ing robbed them of their watches and all their money, the rob- 
bers were about to let them go, but at this moment the mail- 
carrier from Vera Cruz came in sight ; he was mounted on horse- 
back, and did not discover the robbers until very near the car- 
riage, which several of them were overhauling ; on rising a lit- 
tle hill he discovered his danger, but too late to make his es- 
cape ; he however spurred his horse, and endeavored to pass 
them ; in an instant several of them went in pursuit ; the fleet 
horses of the robbers soon overtook him, when they shot the 
unfortunate man, and left him dead in the road. Mr. A. told 
me that while the captain and himself were lying on the ground, 
the robbers pricked their sides with the points of their swords, 



212 VOYAGE IN THE BRIG NYMPH. 

and threatened to dispatch them, accusmg them of having con- 
cealed a portion of their money. Mr. A. said one of the gang 
(he thinks it was the captain) appeared to intercede for them, 
and told his men not to kill them, that they had taken all they 
had, and that it was useless to mm'der them. After the rob- 
bers were satisfied that they could find no more booty, they rode 
oft' and left them. 

Mr. A. thinks, from the manner they rode and managed their 
arms and horses, that the whole gang were military men. As 
soon as the robbers were fairly out of sight, they lifted the poor 
wounded gentleman, who was bleeding and suffering from the 
effect of his wound, into the carriage, and returned slowly back 
to Perote. On the road, about a mile from where Mr. Crawford 
was shot, they saw the mail-carrier lying dead. Mr. Crawford 
li\ ed but a few hours after they returned to Perote. 

Alvarado was formerly a poor little fishing village, and 
was brought into notice from the circumstance of the castle of 
San Juan dS Ulloa^s being in the possession of Spain, so that 
no commerce or trade could be carried on with Yera Cruz ex- 
cept by land, from Alvarado. Consequently, as soon as the 
castle of San Juan cf Ulloa fell into the hands of the Mexi- 
cans, Alvarado naturally fell back into its former insignifi- 
cance. • 

About the 27th of March, I got a copy of all my protests 
and surveys from the American consul, and now only waited 
an opportunity to return home to the United States, As there 
was no vessel bound direct to the port of New- York, I decided 
to return to Philadelphia in the pilot-boat schooner Mexican^ 
with Capt. Dawson. There were six cabin passengers, viz. : 
Mr. Andrews, R. Willing, Esq., a young Englishman by the 
name of Sagg, myself, and one or two other gentlemen whose 
names I do not recollect. The price of passage was $100, 
which we paid in advance. 

After waiting some ten days for Capt. Dawson to get ready 
for sea, we sailed from Alvarado about the middle of April. 
We encountered contrary winds in getting out of the Gulf of 
Mexico, and made a long and tedious voyage. I do not recol- 



. VOYAGE IN THE BRIG NYMPH. 213 

lect any incident worth recording. The cabin passengers were 
intelhgent, gentlemanly and agreeable men. We did not reach 
Philadelphia until the 18th of May, which made our passage 
about thirty- three days from Alvarado. I remained but two 
days in Philadelphia, and then came on to New- York, and 
found my mother, sister, and all the rest of my friends well. 

The underwriters paid our claiim for the brig and freight 
in an otl-hand, honorable manner, and although I had much 
trouble and anxiety on the voyage, still, it turned out a very 
profitable one ; I was absent a few days over eight months, 
and with a small capital of about $10,000, cleared on the 
voyage just $8,000 for my friend Lawrence and myself. We 
settled every thing to our mutual satisfaction.* 

It will be recollected that while lying in St. Thomas, on 
the 10th of January, 1824, I discharged Capt. Coggeshall, at 
his own request. From that port he returned home to Milford, 
where he soon sickened and died, leaving a wife and one son. 
On my return to New- York, on being made acquainted with 
the early and unexpected death of my young friend and 
cousin, I wrote as applicable to him the following epitaph : 

Here in this lonely, humble bed, 
Where myrtle and wild roses grow, 
A son of Neptune rests his head, 
For, reader, 'tis his watch below. 

Long hath he done his duty well, 
And weathered many a stormy blast; 
But now, where gentle breezes swell. 
He's safely moored in peace at last. 

Tread lightly, sailors, o'er his grave, 
His virtues claim a kindred tear ; 
And yet why mourn a brother brave, 
Who rests from all his labors here ? 

* And thus ends this troublesome though lucrative voyage in the brig Nymph. 

THE END. 



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